


A tale of fate and death

by magalud



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Incarnations of Immortality - Piers Anthony
Genre: Afterlife, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst, Angst and Romance, Battle for a Mortal Soul, Character Death, Character Undeath, Demonic plot, Drama, Eternity, F/M, Fantastic, Good and Evil, Good versus Evil, Heaven, Heaven & Hell, Hell, Hogwarts, Immortality, Incarnations of Immortality - Freeform, Murder, Paradise, Pining, Plot Twists, Post-Hogwarts, Purgatory, Religion, Religious Content, Religious Imagery & Symbolism, Romance, Satanic Shenanigans, Severus Snape is Death, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Suicide Attempt, Supernatural Elements, Unrequited Love, death severus snape
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-02
Updated: 2017-11-26
Packaged: 2019-01-28 14:15:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 24
Words: 60,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12608456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magalud/pseuds/magalud
Summary: In the wake of that Halloween night that his world fell apart, Severus was changed forever. So was the future.





	1. A flashy entrance and an old friend

**Author's Note:**

> Notes / Alerts: Completely AU. There are a few bad words. I can't claim I've abandoned canon entirely. I did worse. I twisted it and smashed it and used it to my own devious purposes. Also, character death and character undeaths. Sorry for killing them (JK, I am not sorry). I swear it was nothing personal.
> 
> I resist calling this a crossover, because other than the Incarnations of Immortality, I don't dwell on Piers Anthony's magical universe. I love his series. But I would never claim his characters as mine. Love you, Mr. Anthony.

##  **PART ONE - SEVERUS**

##  **Chapter 1 – A flashy entrance and an old friend**

Severus Snape should have felt utterly frustrated with the fact that no one batted one eyelash at his flashy entrance. Really, with his black attire, his hood and other accoutrements, he could have earned a medal as Drama Queen of the year.

 

The scenario was a crowded food court in a non-descript mall. There were lots of adolescents and a few families. In his black hood, black cloak and heavy boots, Severus should be attracting every eye in the court.

 

But no one saw him.

 

By now he was used to being invisible in the world. The only one who could see him was the client, and even then, he could only be seen at the last moments. The arrow pointed to a morbidly obese teen boy with a huge mane of black hair and fiery face hidden in his dark skin.

 

Severus looked at his watch: ten seconds. The boy was with others of his age, but he had stopped being rowdy and loud. He had his back to Severus and had gone rigid. His friends had already noticed something wrong. In the next moment, he keeled over to the ground.

 

In a flash, Severus was there. The friends swarmed around him, shouting his name ( _'Reginald!' Reginald!'_ ). The boy couldn't be more than sixteen years old, big eyes bulging as he looked at Severus and recognized Death.

 

In a swift movement, with the agility earned in years of practice, Severus knew the boy had expired, so he collected the soul and put it in his bag, a sort of pouch that came with the cloak. The teens were in different states of disarray and despair, shouting for help, shouting for their friend, crying the way children do when they find themselves in a pickle away from an adult. But Severus's concerns related only to the dead. The living would have to take care of themselves.

 

Using the special boots, he crossed the food court in a few strides and took the lift to the garage, where Mort awaited him. Mort, his trusted pale limousine, a shade between twilight and dusk, raised no attention and could go anywhere in the world. For Mort was Death's steed, and tradition dictated Death rode a pale horse. Actually, Mort could be any means of transportation necessary: car, horse, plane, motorcycle. Being magical, he could travel faster than light and indicated the most efficient way to travel the distance to the next client. Severus called Mort a male, instead of neutral. They had become friends – sort of.

 

The teen boy had been the ninth client that morning, and the watch told him he had no other jobs for the next three hours. He could take a break.

 

'Let's go home, Mort.'

 

The limousine shifted its gears, and Severus experienced the familiar sensation of fading colors around him. In a few seconds, Mort could cross the world. Often, he did just that. So, in a matter of a few ticks of the watch, they were home.

 

Spinner’s End, of course.

 

Where else would Severus be home? Hogwarts was out of question, of course, with that maddening, meddlesome headmaster still in the school. The old man would love to see Severus take residence in the hallowed halls – he actually said so once. Only Albus Dumbledore would agree to mix Death itself with kids. Barmy old geezer.

 

Severus stepped out of Mort and said, ‘We are on a break, my friend. You can relax for a while.’

 

The vehicle pulled off and turned the corner, disappearing in broad daylight. Severus stepped inside this childhood home, now turned into Death’s home.

 

To outsiders it was a ruin. Even wizards had difficulties to see beyond the magic that concealed the place. And the paperwork of Spinner’s End was lost until Severus’s term as Death was concluded.

 

Severus picked up his accoutrements and went straight to his home office. After hanging up the much useful cloak and that nifty hood, he put the bag with the collected souls on the table and turned to the wooden cupboard to his right. He opened up the big door, then pulled the small drawer and produced the two magical spheres, the ones that weighed the good and evil of each soul. One was white and the other was black. The ritual was about to begin.

 

Every time he did that ritual, Severus pondered on his office and everything that actually had been his life (or _half_ -life) since he became Death. Because he did not collect each and every soul in the planet. Even magic had limits. He knew that because he had been a wizard. Other Deaths had been Muggles and had no idea about magic.

 

No, Death was only required to collect extremely balanced souls. Those who merited a personal visit from the Grim Reaper were the ones with a very close amount of both good and evil in the tally of their lives. But Severus had no say in who would go to Heaven or who would go to Hell. It seemed the Universe took care of that. But Severus was required to collect the souls so they could pass through his Scales – the magic spheres he was currently holding in his skeletal hands.

 

Severus reached the pouch and took the first soul neatly folded. The spheres sensed the presence of the soul and floated from his hand towards it. Then they became even, one beside the other. Severus never failed to be fascinated by that. Because it took a few seconds and then, slowly, gently, one of the spheres would move.

 

And one of them did.

 

This time it was the white one. As usual, it moved upwards. That meant the soul was on its way to heaven. Slowly, the sphere moved upwards until it reached the ceiling and a white vapor unclasped from it, moving beyond the ceiling. The sphere then gently returned to its place beside the black one. Severus opened his gloved hands and the spheres gently came to his palms. He realized he had been holding a breath and sighed. Then he took another neatly folded soul from the pouch.

 

The process was repeated eight more times, and not every soul went upwards. Severus was used to that. Yet sometimes he wondered about his clients. Take that teen boy, for instance. He was so young, yet his soul was already grey. What evil could he have done to deserve his soul to be taken by Death itself?

 

Severus was also used to think which way would his own soul go when his time came. He had died quite young, too. But he had evil in him, oh yes, he had. Every time he repeated the tally ritual Severus thought about his own situation. It just couldn’t be helped. He knew, at least, that Death was no part of the judgement itself. There were some other devices responsible for placing each soul in heaven or hell. And he was not even assuming there was a Purgatory. At least, not one besides the Administration itself.

 

Many times Severus also pondered about how he came into Death’s office in the first place. It was a strange method of succession, that was for sure. But a very efficient one.

 

That fateful day, the day he had inherited the job, would be etched in his memory forever and beyond. He often revisited it, each time a new detail surfacing.

 

'Are you there, Death?'

 

The trouble with being one of the Incarnations of Immortality is that his peers had similar powers. Doors and windows certainly didn't stop him, and so it didn't stop them either.

 

Severus turned around to find a middle aged woman smiling gently at him. 'Are you busy?' she asked.

 

He put away the magical spheres and turned around. 'Never too busy for you, Marlene.'

 

'I've told you to call me as my office, Death. It is a joke from the Universe that we knew each other's former identities. Besides, Marlene McKinnon never made it to this age.'

 

'Pity,' said Severus. 'The world could use more beautiful, mature women.'

 

'Are you paying me a compliment, Death?' She looked amused and relaxed. 'Flattery may improve your destiny.'

 

'I wish,' he said dejectedly.

 

‘Don’t be such a sour puss. Anything new?’

 

‘Same old, same old. Souls to collect, places to go. And you?’

 

‘Pretty much the same. Threads to spin, yarns to make, lives to watch. I may be three, but the job doesn’t become easier.’

 

‘Would you like to trade places?’

 

‘Merlin, no. I couldn’t stand the gore.’

 

‘You said Merlin,” he snickered.

 

‘Old habits die hard. Even Fate cannot change that.’

 

‘Marlene, why are you here? And don’t come with that pun about wanting this place because it is called Spinner’s End. After ten years, the joke has really worn thin.’

 

She shrugged. ‘I still think it is a good joke. Any ways, the old man would like a word, if you have a minute to spare.’

 

Severus sighed, between bored and irritated. ‘What does the old goat want now?’

 

‘I didn’t stick around to hear him. Be warned: if he tries to look at my tapestry again…’

 

Severus recalled the incident and nodded. ‘Understood. You’d think he had learned his lesson, but you know how Dumbledore is.’

 

‘My point exactly,’ said the personification of Fate, changing her form to young Clotho, the attractive twenty-something woman. ‘Now I have to go and grab a customer. Bye, Death!’

 

‘Please call me Severus!’ he yelled, but she had already disappeared. He sighed once more and checked the watch. He had a client due in 20 minutes, but after that was taken care of, he could go to Hogwarts.

 

Against all his instincts, Snape went to Hogwarts.

 

Since he became Death, he had lost all his wizarding powers. So Apparating was out of the question. But the powers of the new office were quite handy. After all, Severus could only imagine what it would be like if students and staff could see him striding the big corridors, making his way to the Headmaster’s office, scaring even the resident ghosts.

 

All portraits went silent when Severus came inside the headmaster's office. It was strange that Dumbledore could only see him when Severus allowed, but the portraits could watch him all the time. Some of the strange circumstances of his condition never ceased to amaze him, but he quit looking for explanations. Better accept things as they were, he decided.

 

Dumbledore noticed the behavior of the portraits and looked around, calling, ‘Severus? Is that you?’

 

Severus made himself visible, and he did not make any effort to hide his annoyance. ‘Yes, it is me. Please state the nature of your call with expediency. I am not at your beck and call.’

 

‘Do not think I don’t appreciate your coming. But there are matters that I believe you would like to know.’

 

‘I quite frankly find it hard to fathom. The business of the living does not concern me.’

 

Dumbledore casually mentioned, ‘I thought you might want to know Lily’s son will start attending Hogwarts come September.’

 

Everything stopped.

 

A chill came to the pit of Severus’s stomach. He remembered the boy. He remembered… that night. All his emotions came flooding back in a flash. Outwards, though, he tried to sound nonplussed, ‘Oh?’

 

‘Little Harry Potter is coming to Hogwarts,’ repeated Dumbledore. ‘He has been kept in the Muggle world all those years, but now he will come to the wizarding world. I thought you might want to take a look at him.’

 

‘And why would I do that?’

 

‘I thought you might be interested in protecting Lily’s son. You were her friend.’

 

‘Had not been in a while. Besides, she is gone.’

 

‘Have you heard from her?’

 

Severus tried not to sound too bitter. ‘I am Death, but I don’t attend the other side.’

 

‘I thought my little token of appreciation would have come in handy.’

 

Now he couldn’t contain his irritation. ‘And you still didn’t tell me what you want in exchange for that.’

 

Dumbledore didn’t flinch. ‘All in due time, my boy, all in due time. I really hoped you could help me protect the child.’

 

Severus became even more irritated. ‘I am Death! I have many appointments to attend. I cannot play babysitter to some Potter brat! I am sure you have many more candidates to your manipulations!’

 

‘Oh well’, said Dumbledore, sounding disappointed. ‘And that information I requested?’

 

‘I have no answer for you. Actually, I have already told you that he probably went straight down without needing my assistance.’

 

'Were you not supposed to weigh his soul? Or make sure his soul didn't escape from its destiny?'

 

'Check your definition of Death. My job is to preside and assist the passage of the living, not to retrieve lost souls or to chase down eventual fugitives.'

 

'Excuse me. I believe Lord Voldemort is quite keen on escaping his encounter with you. He might have escaped from hell.'

 

'It would not concern me. I am not a bounty hunter for Satan. That would be the Ghost Rider, or so I hear. Once they are dead, they are beyond my reach.'

 

‘So you keep saying. I still maintain Lord Voldemort is not dead. He will return some day. When he does, I think young Harry Potter will be in great danger. I also think you will have much work to do.’

 

‘We’ll see. Well, if you will excuse me, I have a very demanding work schedule.’

 

‘Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see you soon.’

 

Severus snorted. ‘No, you don’t.’

 

And left.


	2. From the beginning

##  **Chapter 2 – From the beginning**

 

The talk with Dumbledore had left Severus in a foul mood for a long time. ‘Old coot sure played dirty’, he thought. Even Mort seemed a bit apprehensive about his master. But Severus couldn’t help it.

 

Dumbledore had brought up the exact reason Severus’s life went upside down. Old meddlesome coot had to remind him of the day everything changed, the day the world went crazy.

 

The day Lily had died. The day he became Death.

 

Sometimes Severus recalled the events without feeling anything at all. Those were the times his feelings were numb. But there were times when the intensity of his pain and his regret seemed too much to bear.

 

In the Halloween of 1981, Severus rushed to Godric’s Hollow after hearing about the Dark Lord’s plan to strike down the boy of the prophecy. Severus had told everything he knew to Dumbledore. After all, only that old man could stand up against the Dark Lord. Only Dumbledore could protect Lily.

 

Except he did not.

 

Severus still could remember his legs, mechanically taking him to the half-destroyed house, a stench of death in the air. There was a buzz in his ears that had nothing to do with the chilly air of the approaching November. No, his ears were deaf to the world, as if pricking up in the hope of catching the faintest sound of the voice he loved. There was also a rush of blood of his heart, oh, such a traitorous heart, hoping against hope to see Lily still alive.

 

In the stairs, Severus looked at James, his vacant eyes witnessing the desolation of that house. Severus climbed up the stairs, to the nursery, to the confirmation of what he hoped would not come to pass.

 

And then Severus’s heart shattered in a million pieces.

 

Lily, his precious Lily, lied dead at the floor, right next to the crib where a child cried his head off. Severus spared no attention to the baby as his shock was so strong that he had to support himself against the nearest wall. But he was unable to keep standing up, because his knees buckled down of their own accord. Next thing he knew, he was on the ground, Lily in his arms, his sweet Lily, and he was weeping, hard and loud, grief pouring through his whole being.

 

Severus didn't know how long he stood there, trying to make some sense of the world again. All he knew was that the love of his life was dead despite all his efforts, despite all his begging to Dumbledore.

 

That was why he went straight to the old coot.

 

'You said you would protect them!'

 

Dumbledore looked older than ever, but calm. 'They preferred to put their trust in someone else.'

 

Severus was out of his mind. He could not think straight. 'Gone... Lost...!'

 

Dumbledore said something about Lily's boy and how the Dark Lord was probably still alive, but Severus didn't stick around to hear him. All he knew was that Lily was dead because he had heard that accursed prophecy and he had told it to the Dark Lord. Severus begged him to spare her, but he realized the Dark Lord didn't consider Lily worth saving because of her Muggle heritage. So he had been to Dumbledore and the old geezer failed. Now he asked for favors? How dare him ask to protect the boy? The boy was the reason his Lily was dead!

 

Guilt was eating Severus inside as he had never felt before. He began weighing his perspectives.

 

The Dark Lord was gone, his followers scattered or hiding. Severus needed to keep his wits to stay out of Azkaban, since he could very well be recognized as a Death Eater. The chances of survival were meager and the best ones meant selling himself in an alliance with Dumbledore. Living the rest of his life under the power of the old coot was not something he was willing to contemplate. Severus would still have a master, someone who practically owned him. He had lived such a life under the Dark Lord's leash. He had no reason to believe Dumbledore would be any different. That life would not be worth living.

 

As a matter of fact, Severus was simply not willing to live anymore.

 

What would life be like without Lily in it? What would a world be without Lily? Why would Severus have any will to live in a world without Lily?

 

The answers to these questions were not promising, and he envisioned his perspectives, as a whole, were rather bleak. His poor mother was gone. There was no other family. There were no friends to help, for they would be running as well, and Severus knew there were neither honor nor generosity among his lot. There just was no one to help. He had no one to go.

 

And the absence of Lily...

 

It was with great difficulty that Severus faced what he perceived as his only option: self-destruction. The difficulty was that magic provided wizards with even a greater deal of unconscious self-preservation energy. Killing a wizard required tremendous levels of energy, and that was why wizard suicide was practically unheard.

 

To Severus, however, this immense effort was perfectly desirable and coherent with his desire to die. Sweet oblivion was a purposeful goal to his pitiful existence.

 

In a moment of vanity, he used a spell of his own design.

 

_'Sectumsempra!'_

 

Blood began pouring out of his body as the terrible effects of curse took hold on him. It wouldn't be long until he was at the point of no return and death welcomed him in her arms.

 

Severus could take the last moments of his life to contemplate the existence of an afterlife. He didn't believe in that, so he thought it would be better to recall the sweetest moments of his miserable life: the moments spent with Lily. Her red hair, her open smile, her bright soul... It all came back to him, the times they were friends. He was so dark and his life so sad, and Lily was the best thing that ever happened to him. But now she was gone.

 

If there were an afterlife, he wished he could be near her. However, given his deeds in the life he was about to leave behind, his afterlife destiny hardly rested in paradise.

 

He could feel his senses already wavering... Maybe it wouldn't be long now.

 

And then, in the corner of the eye, as he laid dying, he saw a black hood.

 

A Death Eater.

 

'They found me,' he thought frantically.

 

The figure came closer to him, and Severus was so weak he couldn't recognize the man. Even if Severus could recognize the man, he might not be able to call him. He was in a worse state than he thought. His wand was still in his hand, but he wasn't sure if he was able to use it.

 

The hooded figure had an eerie air around him, and Severus suddenly realized it was no Death Eater. As it was getting nearer him, Severus could see his features - or lack of them.

 

He saw a skull and a bony face, no flesh or no eyes. Yet the thing was looking directly at him.

 

In a flash, he understood. That was Death, coming to collect his soul.

 

That insight made him realize that deep inside he had no desire to die. Given the amount of blood that he lost, though, it might be too late to change his mind.

 

And Death was coming closer.

 

Everything was becoming too surreal at that point, and Severus was not sure of the exact succession of events. But he remembered how close Death was to him when, with a last breath, he turned his wand right at his face and pronounced, _'Avada_ _Kedavra!'_

 

The green light hit the skeleton head like a bullet, shattering most of the skull. Death had no chance to survive such a heavy blow and fell down to the floor like a sack full of potatoes. Blood flowed silently in the floor.

 

To say Severus felt scared was an understatement. Was it true? Was it dead? Had he killed it?

 

He had killed Death, for Merlin's sake!

 

The door opened again. A woman in her fifties entered his sitting room, looked at the gruesome scene and said, 'Very well, let's do this.'

 

Still in shock, Severus whispered, 'I- I killed it... I killed Death!...'

 

The woman dropped to her knees, intent on examining the body and said, 'That you did, and now you have become Death. Congrats on the new job. Now get up and help me with the cloak, please. We don't want it soaked with blood now, do we?'

 

She had such an authoritative voice that it didn't occur to Severus not to obey her. But he was caught on something she said. 'What do you mean, I am Death? Who are you?'

 

Together they were taking the robe off of the corpse. It was a sort of heavy black garment that reeked of magic. The woman didn't stop what she was doing to say, 'I am Fate, you are Death, and I realize you must be overwhelmed right now, but we have no time to lose on chitchat. From now on, you will be the one to guide souls to heaven or hell.'

 

'I will do _what?’_ Severus had a deep feeling that this, whatever it was, could NOT be happening to him.

 

‘You will guide souls to the afterlife. Please pay attention.’

 

‘Me? Why me?'

 

The woman talked fast and did not stop what she was doing. 'Because you killed Death. That's how it works. He who kills Death becomes the new Death. Now put the robe on. You are protected whilst wearing it. Nothing can pierce it. You will also be invisible in it. At least to anyone who is not the client, those involved with the client, those truly religious people and some extraordinarily powerful creatures. The garb must be impeccable, including the boots, and you will be indestructible in these. That was why your predecessor met his end: he got careless and didn't fasten his hood. Someday you'll be careless, too, and you will be killed, and there will be a new Death.'

 

'But why me? I am hardly qualified. Is it a random choice?'

 

The woman was now measuring his fit on Death's garment. 'It is a good fit. And although I don't believe it is a random thing, as you suggested, I am not prepared to discuss it right now. You will learn it on the job. It is yours until someone kills you.'

 

'And it probably will happen when I grow old and lose my reflexes.'

 

She smiled at his innocence. 'Old? Death does not age. Neither does any of us in the other offices. It would not do for an Incarnation of Immortality to age.'

 

'Incarnation of what?'

 

'Oh, I see you are a real newbie. Pay attention now. You see, there are five major offices and two grand entities. Death, Fate, Nature, War and Time cooperate with each other and with God and Satan, though answerable to neither. If we do our jobs well, then all is well in the world. We exist in the fringe of the world, making things happen.'

 

Severus was having a hard time to absorb all this information. His silence was interpreted as consent, as she went on. 'Take off the boots, as well. They are impervious to everything in Nature and they even allow you to walk on water. Nothing can stand between Death and a client.'

 

'There’s no need for that. I believe my wand will serve me better.'

 

'Oh, great!' she said sardonically. 'A _wizard!_ Were you even listening, _wizard?_ Your life is _over_. Forget about it. You have no powers anymore. Actually, you are dead to the world. Whoever you were before is dead now. Look. Death is already taking your features.’

 

Severus looked down and realized, with extreme discomfort, that his body laid on the floor of Spinner’s End, half of its face missing.  Few things in life could be stranger than the sight of your own dead body right in front of you.

 

The woman sentenced. ‘This life of yours is over.'

 

'But then how-?'

 

She was really becoming impatient, and handed him one of the boots. 'There will be other types of magic to allow you to do your job. You better hop on it, though, because all deaths are in a halt until you preside them.'

 

‘ _All_ deaths?’ Severus went aghast. ‘There are more almost 5 billion humans in this planet! I can’t possibly preside _every_ death there is! I would have to take several souls in one second or-‘

 

The middle aged lady had no time for his whining and interrupted him harshly. ‘You are wasting time! I have arranged only thirty minutes to do this. Let me explain it in all details. Of course you won’t preside each and every single death in the planet. Those who are clearly slated for heaven or hell will follow on their merry way to the afterlife without your interference. The problem is when the individual has equal balance of good and bad deeds and thoughts. Only those grey hearts are granted a personal visit from Death.’

 

Severus was taken aback by the last words. If Death came to him, then… Was he grey in his heart? But he had been a Death Eater, a bad person by definition. He should have gone straight to hell, given the things he had done in the service of the Dark Lord.

 

Fate must have seen his doubts because her features softened when she reminded him, ‘You loved someone and tried to save her life. That counts as good.’

 

He felt a mix of shame, warmth and regret coursing through his veins. _Lily…_

 

‘Now let’s get moving,’ she said. ‘The first client you free will release the back log of dying souls. I wish you good luck.’

 

She moved to the door, but Severus asked, ‘Don’t leave me! I don’t even know how to find my clients!’

 

‘Mort should help you with that.’

 

‘Who is this Mort?’

 

‘Oh, and don’t forget the accoutrements.’ She pointed to the body. ‘There’s that watch, the scythe and the other magical things you will need to do the job. I don’t know the specifics, but as I told you, Mort will help you get it all sorted.’

 

Severus stooped down, and with no short amount of disgust to rob his own corpse, began taking off the so-called accoutrements: the watch, an empty pouch, a small case that was way too heavy for such a small object, and not one but two scythes of different sizes, the personal trade mark of the Grim Reaper. He was still unsure what to do.

 

The woman who was Fate now looked a bit satisfied.

 

‘We will see each other again. Now I have the sad task to tell Chronos about the departure of old Thanatos. He was a great friend of this Death. Good luck on your first day.'

 

And she went out the door.

 

Severus was left alone with the dead Death. He had no idea what to do next.

 


	3. How the next life began

##  **Chapter 3 – How the next life began**

 

Severus had Death’s cloak on, having just been sworn into the office of the Grim Reaper. At least that he could understand. He looked at the mirror and almost fainted: he had no face, but a skull beneath that hood. He looked at the boots – there were skeletal legs and skeletal hands.

 

He looked like a freaking cartoon.

 

Then the door opened again. Severus was relieved, thinking it was Fate back, perhaps with new instructions, but it was not.

 

It was Dumbledore.

 

The old wizard took one look at the floor, located all the blood and gore, and his face fell. ‘Severus,’ he whispered.

 

Severus, now Death, was frozen at the floor. Dumbledore looked like he hadn't seen him. Could he really be invisible? Even to Dumbledore, the most powerful wizard of those times?

 

‘Oh, my boy, I had so many plans for you,’ murmured Dumbledore, as if in pain, grief-stricken and looking his real age. ‘I hoped in time you would heal.’

 

Severus let out a snort. Impossible as it seemed, Dumbledore heard it.

 

‘Who is it?’

 

In time, Severus would learn that his invisibility was not total. Fate had told him this, but it would seem that in addition to the special cases, people could see him if they knew where to look. And Dumbledore surely knew.

 

‘Ah, it is you, Death,’ he recognized it, and Severus wondered how this could be possible. ‘I trust you are not here for me. Pity you took the boy.’

 

‘Do you pity him?’ Severus couldn’t help asking, facing the man.

 

‘Pity? Well I wouldn’t say that -‘ Dumbledore halted at once, recognizing him. ‘Oh, by all magical things!… _Severus?’_ He couldn’t hide his surprise. ‘What happened to you?’

 

Acidly, Severus answered. ‘Take a guess.’

 

The old man looked astonished. ‘Now you are Death? That is remarkable. Imagine what you can accomplish- ‘

 

‘I can accomplish nothing, because apparently I have an office to hold’, Severus interrupted him.

 

‘Outstanding, Severus,’ said Dumbledore cheerfully. ‘I suppose you now can visit Lily. In the other world, I mean.’

 

That made Severus stop. He genuinely had not considered that possibility.

 

Then the watch on his wrist began flashing. It had an arrow pointing at the door. The luminous arrow was flashing in alternative mode to a chronometer. Severus realized. 'I have to go.'

 

Dumbledore must have said something, but Severus shut him off and followed the luminous arrow out of the house. Once outside, Severus realized the arrow was pointed at a pale limousine parked near his house. Its lights were blinking. Normally a limo parked in that neighborhood would raise attention but somehow nobody was interested in that car. It was just sitting there, as if waiting. Then Severus read the name plate of its license.

 

It read "Mort".

 

So _that_ was Mort. And it was waiting for him. According to the watch, they had two minutes.

 

Severus went in the car. 'Er... Hello.'

 

If he had expected the car to answer, the disappointment would have been great. But he hardly had any chance to ponder on that, given that the vehicle took off as soon as he hit the driver's seat.

 

Seeing that Death's car was self-driven, Severus took the opportunity to take a look at the vehicle. The panel was quite ordinary, with all normal buttons and functions one expects to find in a car. It was an old model, of course. The main goal was to not raise attention.

 

Since it made virtually no distinctive noise, it should be a hell of an engine, thought Severus, imagining if he had just made a pun. And it rode fast, too, unhindered by traffic jams, traffic lights, traffic laws. It made sense: no mundane aspects of life should interfere with the Grim Reaper.

 

Severus decided he didn't like the epithet. Death was a much more dignified title. Dumbledore was right: it was remarkable. That old coot just knew he was Death? Was he so powerful that he had seen Severus's fate? Could Severus really be able to visit Lily? It was not so far-fetched. She was in the other side. Severus's job was to collect souls and send them to eternity, and he had two minutes to collect his first one.

 

His first soul.

 

All thoughts of Dumbledore and Lily faded away as he realized he was on his way to his first reap. The watch was blinking. He had one minute now.

 

Mort stopped suddenly but smoothly. Severus was outside a big building, with signs written in a foreign language. Nonetheless, Severus knew it was a hospital.

 

This made him less nervous. A hospital probably meant a terminally ill person, not some suicidal bloke or murder case. Reaping this soul should be easy, and very befitting for a newbie Death. Right?

 

In theory, yes. But reality was hardly this accommodating.

 

Afterwards Severus would remember that as one of the most embarrassing reaps of his career as Death. He had no idea how a soul should be collected, and it resulted in a simple operation taking much more time than necessary. Fate had to intervene, and she was furious at him for "torturing the poor soul". Severus was so aggravated and agitated that he almost quit the office right there.

 

In the end, the poor old sod could finally rest, his soul was collected and taken to a pouch, and Fate apologized to Severus about the harsh way she treated him. Mort took them back to Spinner's End, now cleared from both Aurors and the Muggle police.

 

Severus calmed his nerves from the fiasco at the hospital with the rest of his elfish wine, which he partook with Fate. Funny that this was still his home.

 

And everything was strange and then it got stranger.

 

'If you take this place as Death's abode,' said Fate, 'the world will forget about it.'

 

'What do you mean?'

 

'The house will be as invisible as you are. The world will not remember it ever existed, the mortgage or deed will be lost until you need it.' Severus stared at her, pausing in the way he carefully sipped his wine. 'Well, think about it. You will need a place to stay, to eat and sleep, and you can't do your job inside Mort.'

 

‘My job?'

 

She explained, 'Death is firstly and foremost a psychopomp. It guides souls to their final destiny. You balance their souls to decide which ones go up and which ones... don't. You will need a place for that. Why not here?'

 

'I don't have a garage for Mort.'

 

'Let him take his stallion form. He is a rather fetchy horse.'

 

Severus was surprised. 'He can be a horse?'

 

'Oh, you are such a newbie. I can't explain everything to you. Being three, I have quite a busy schedule myself. So it is nice to stop by and have a glass of wine. Or three glasses by the way.'

 

Severus rose an eyebrow, intrigued. 'I don't think you ever told me about your job. What does Fate do? Why do you say you are three?'

 

The lady explained patiently, 'Fate has three aspects: Clotho, the younger one, spins the thread of life. You are in the presence of Lachesis, the middle aged weaver, the one who sets the thread on the tapestry of life. The older one is Atropos, the one with the scissors to cut the thread and end the life.'

 

Another glass of wine was filled and Severus asked, 'So you are the one who actually kills them.'

 

Fate's features clouded ominously. 'I am as much as a killer as you are, Death. Or as Time is. Or War. Or Nature. We do our jobs the best we can. The clients make their choices, and we just fulfill the bill.'

 

'I meant no disrespect,' he assured her, trying to amend his faux-pas. 'Upsetting a gorgeous lady like yourself is the last thing I wanted to do.'

 

She smiled. 'What a nice thing to say, thank you, Severus. Had you practiced better manners whilst alive, perhaps people might have treated you better.'

 

He smiled sadly, wondering if maybe that would have helped with Lily. Then something went sharply into focus and he turned to her. 'How do you know my name? I never told you.'

 

Fate seemed disconcerted for a second. 'Well, I deal with threads of life. Surely your name must have shown...'

 

Severus could spot a lie a mile away while alive. Why would he fail to do so when he was half-dead? He raised an eyebrow and said, 'Indeed. Yet you don't look as if you are telling me the truth.'

 

She sighed and admitted, 'Yes, I lied. Sort of. We've not really met before, but you met another aspect of Fate. Both of you were alive back then. Maybe you can recognize Clotho.'

 

Suddenly Severus saw a young blonde woman before him, a beauty in her twenties. He saw that familiar face, and the name came to his lips after a few seconds. 'Marlene McKinnon...?'

 

Marlene McKinnon was a member of the Order of the Phoenix, a group Albus Dumbledore put together to fight the rise of the Dark Lord. Severus himself had been briefly a member of the group.

 

She nodded. 'Declared dead along with her entire family after a vicious attack from Death Eaters. And now I am here.'

 

Severus said sincerely, 'Sorry about your death. I am really sorry.'

 

'Not your fault,' she said. 'And this is all water under the bridge anyway. Which reminds me that I need to go back to my duties - and so do you, Death. Next time remember I won't be around to help you. Good luck.'

 

Marlene, now the personification of Fate, turned around and left Spinner’s End. Severus had no time to ponder on everything he had learned, for the watch was bilking, the arrow was pointing, and he had two minutes to get to his client.

 

From then on, a bizarre routine was established, in which he collected and weighed souls. In time, he learned many things.

 

He learned that Chronos, the personification of Time, was a nice chum who lived his life backwards, which was both confusing and annoying. He learned Nature was a green angry mother with a fierce sense of protection. He learned War was a frustrated, depressed fellow who had tremendous difficulty to relate to people outside the battlefield. He learned that Satan was a very easy-going guy (although a bit sly) and that God never granted personal audiences, even to Death. But he had pleasant assistants.

 

And sadly Severus learned that Death was not allowed to visit the afterlife. No matter what he did or whom he pleaded or what he promised: the afterlife was not his domain. Lily was out of his reach.

 

But not all was lost. Dumbledore, the meddling man, had actually given Severus something quite nifty. It was a magical device that looked like a small mat, but it acted as a portable window. Once it was placed in a wall, it allowed full view of the inside. It was also tuned to find Lily in the places Severus was not allowed.

 

'Why are you doing this?' asked Severus, watching the old wizard explain how the device worked.

 

'Oh, don't look so suspicious,' said Dumbledore shrugging. 'I am just trying to help a former student. Think of it as a token of appreciation. I could ask, however, for a favor in return.'

 

That was something Severus could believe. 'Which favor?'

 

'Oh, all in good time. Don't worry about it for now. I'll let you know. But I'd be most grateful if you'd be kind enough to inform me if Lord Voldemort made the passing.'

 

Severus frowned. 'Could there be any doubt of that?'

 

'Oh, I have no doubt that he has successfully avoided his own demise. But I'd believe the contrary if told me by a certified source such as yourself.'

 

Dumbledore was calm and serious, in that annoyingly cheerful attitude of his. All Severus could think of replying was, 'I will let you know if something comes up.'

 

And that was how Dumbledore managed to have Death itself owe him a favor. Because Severus would never admit it to the old man, but his token of appreciation was more useful than anything his peers ever offered him. He used it a lot and often, because with it he could actually watch Lily without being watched.

 

The bittersweet sensation of his peeping activities in the afterlife at first created a backlog of deaths that merited a visit from both Fate and Time. Severus was quite vexed from the chastisement from his peers, but did not give up on watching the woman of his dreams.

 

In a few years, though, the feelings were not that intense anymore. Marlene had warned him about it. He defied Fate for years until he realized the facts that he was so desperately trying to deny. Lily remained what she has always been to Severus: perfect, beautiful and unattainable. Even more so, because when his time came to live in the Great Beyond, it would never be in the place she was. It took him years, but Severus was quite aware of that. These views of Lily were his goodbye to the love of his life.

 

Eternally unrequited love was itself a very special kind of hell, wasn't it?

 

Severus was still in the process of struggling with these realizations when Dumbledore called him about Lily's son. The brat was going to Hogwarts. That was proof that ten years had passed. The bittersweet feelings returned, but somehow transformed. Protecting the boy could be a way of honoring his feelings for Lily.

 

But how could he do that?

 


	4. The Grim Babysitter

##  **Chapter 4 – The Grim Babysitter**

 

After the talk with Dumbledore, Severus kept his routine with the thought of Lily's boy on the back of his head. There was nothing he could do immediately and he didn't see any reason to protect Harry from anything graver than a Quidditch injury, but Dumbledore was sure the kid was in danger. The old headmaster also was adamant the Dark Lord was not totally dead. Maybe Dumbledore had finally become irrevocably barmy.

 

Since he went less and less frequently to watch Lily, Severus invested most of his free time with the mortals or his eternal peers. Fate alerted him to keep a low profile whilst dealing with the living, since he was literally dead to the world.

 

The world was fueled by money, and thankfully Severus required only a small amount of it to survive. He had small need for clothes or food, yet he required those. And he required money. He sold a great deal of objects from Spinner's End, and sometimes Dumbledore or other Incantations gave him money. When times were rough, Severus went to charity shops and church shelters. His habits had been frugal when he was alive, and he kept being so.

 

It would have been just too easy to take money from his clients. It could even be justified, since they wouldn't need it anymore. But Severus knew quite well that stealing was stealing, and at the end of the day it would weigh on his soul. Satan might be a nice fellow, but Severus preferred to avoid spending eternity with him if he could.

 

Interaction with the mortals were tricky. With his peers also, sometimes. War liked to drink, so they went pub crawling sometimes, as long as War promised Severus not to pick fights. That was his idea of fun. It ended in work for Severus sometimes. As many of the other Incarnations of Immortality, War loved his job. Severus? Not so much.

 

But the problem with Lily's son came back to his attention during his work. He received a call to a client and Mort dropped him at Hogwarts. But when Severus consulted the watch, it gave a peculiar reading. It was as if two souls were sharing the same body.

 

'What in the name of Merlin?,' he thought. Severus had never heard it was possible.

 

Following the directions of the ever trusted arrow, Severus arrived at some room in the bowels of the school. As a student, Severus never heard of that place, much less recognize it. But the watch was adamant his next client was there.

 

Five minutes.

 

There was a man in a turban looking at a mirror. It was the Mirror of Erised, and the man must be a teacher. A boy was with him, and Severus immediately knew who he was.

 

Harry Potter.

 

With growing horror, Severus watched as that small child confronted the man. The turban hid another entity, the second soul detected by the watch.

 

In less than two minutes, Severus realized what was going on: the entity had taken hold of the man in the turban and now wanted a body, a feat that the boy could help with the Philosopher's Stone. But it seemed Harry had no intention of giving the stone. There was shouting and the watch flashed, telling Severus he was about to reap one of the two souls inside the man in turban.

 

It wouldn't be long.

 

The man charged over the boy, demanding the stone, and he tried to fight the kid. That was when weird got weirder.

 

In the exact moment Turban Man touched Harry, two things happened: Severus collected his soul and his body began disintegrating immediately. The man yelled, but he was dead. The second soul that inhabited his body was virtually homeless, so it fled to the boy, trying to possess him. But it could not, so there was nothing left to do but flee the scene. Harry collapsed right there, with a big red stone loosely held in his fingers.

 

Severus took some time to contemplate what he had witnessed. There surely were some evil forces at play, and Lily's boy was right in the middle of it all.

 

Loathe as he was to admit it, Dumbledore might be  right. But how could he help protect the child? And why did he have that nagging sensation that the old coot was not being entirely altruistic?

 

Severus consulted his peers.

 

'In my experience,' offered War, 'altruism is a dead art. Everybody has his own agenda. This Dumbledore fellow obviously has his own.'

 

'I agree, up to a point,' joined in Nature. 'I just can't see how he would benefit from it, though. He may have some legitimate reasons.'

 

Severus offered a second round of biscuits, saying, 'I wish Fate were here. She knows Dumbledore.' The others looked at him and he added, 'From before. We knew Dumbledore. We used to be wizards.'

 

'I don't trust wizards' said Nature, in contempt. 'They live too long , it's not natural.'

 

'I was not yet 22 when I died,' recalled Severus.

 

'Technically, you haven't died yet, so it is still a valid point,' said War.

 

Severus rolled his eyes. He should have known his Incarnations friends wouldn't be much help. They had been immortals too long to relate to the human condition. Fate and himself were the exceptions. After a decade in the office, the others still called them newbies.

 

Fate didn't show up until a few days later. She also had no answers to him. To his dismay, Severus hadn't realized she had bias in relation to Dumbledore.

 

'Of course he just wants to help the boy,' she offered.

 

'He seems to believe the Dark Lord is not quite dead. Can you please share a light?'

 

For the first time since he met her as the personification of Fate, she looked discomforted. 'Voldemort do seem to be hanging by a thread, and it is not a pun.'

 

Severus whispered, in horror, 'He lives...?'

 

'That is the rub,' said Fate reluctantly. 'The answer is yes and no. Damn him! He is the closest thing to a Schrödinger cat I have ever seen!'

 

'But how?'

 

'I don't know. Nature is right: wizards do have a tendency to defy nature. It seems Lord Voldemort is defying you, Death.'

 

If he could, Severus would have turned white. He recalled the prophecy he had heard about the Dark Lord and the one born by the end of July. Everything came back to him like a flash flood: Lily's son persecution, Dumbledore's failure, Sirius Black's betrayal... And if the Dark Lord could somehow be alive, Lily's son was really in danger. He told so to Fate.

 

'I didn't get to know the kid. Was he cute?'

 

Severus answered instinctively, 'He has his mother's eyes.'

 

Fate smiled. 'Then he is cute.'

 

Severus could not but agree.

 

o0o 0o0 o0o 0o0

 

Keeping tabs on Harry Potter was not easy. Severus had to convince Mort about the importance of keeping in touch with the boy because of his connection with the defiant soul who refused to die. Somehow, though, he joined forces with Dumbledore, and together they developed a device that helped him to sense close death near Harry. It was an extreme measure, and Severus thought he would only use it in a few occasions. Surely the kid would not be at the brink of death so many times in his short life.

 

To call this assumption a miscalculation was an understatement.

 

A few weeks after the device was set, it alerted of a very real danger quite close to the boy. Severus rushed to Hogwarts and found the boy in the school's infirmary. This time he was visiting a girl who had been petrified. The stench of dark magic was evident even to Severus, who was no longer a wizard.

 

Another boy joined him. Severus deducted they were friends - close friends. And they were also partners in crime. From what Severus could hear, the girl was the brains of the operation. Her name burned in his skull only after the redheaded boy said she was the one who brewed them Polyjuice Potion. As a devout Potions lover, Severus knew brewing Polyjuice was a feat in itself, let alone to a twelve-year old Muggleborn called Hermione.

 

Severus checked his devices of Death: the girl was in no immediate danger, so he didn't intervene. He only did that later, when the boy was foolish enough to enter a secret chamber inside the school and, egged on by a wraith, battled a basilisk. There was a happy ending, though: the Weasley girl was saved, Harry Potter came out of there alive and Severus needn't intervene.

 

Some interesting things happened then: Severus realized that Dumbledore was looking over the boy, that Lily's son unfortunately had inherited his father's knack for running straight into trouble and that the wraith Potter encountered while trying to rescue the Weasley girl had some actual answers that Fate might like to know.

 

'I think you need to talk to Dumbledore,' suggested Fate. 'He might know exactly what that apparition meant.'

 

'Marlene,' he said shakily. 'That apparition felt like a soul. It was not the same as a ghost, yet it was a bit just like one. I am Death; I know how a soul feels. You know I am not easily impressed, but now I am, and it's not in a good way.'

 

'That is why I think you should talk to Dumbledore. He may know a lot more than you think.'

 

That was not beyond the realm of reasonable thought, so Severus kept that in mind. But he was not ready to look for the old meddling coot.

 

Yet.

 

Then a convicted criminal escaped from Azkaban.

 

Severus was alarmed by the news, even though his wonderful device was silent. To him, it was deeply disturbing: Sirius Black had escaped. The man the whole wizarding world knew as the hideous traitor to the Potters was on the loose, and young Harry could be in terrible danger. Dumbledore even had Dementors posted all over Hogwarts grounds. Damned device! Why couldn't it express the same fear Severus felt?

 

The surprises were not over, though. Another of Severus's old enemies, Remus Lupin, was back at Hogwarts, now as a teacher. Though he was friends with Black, Potter and that insipid Peter Pettigrew, Lupin had been half decent to Severus in their schooldays. But what was Dumbledore thinking, letting loose a werewolf amongst innocent children?

 

The cherry on the top of the cake, though, came when the device alerted him of the danger Harry and his friends were facing. They were lured into the Shrieking Shack by no other than Sirius Black himself. The Weasley boy had a broken leg and the three thirteen-years-old were facing a mass murderer.

 

Except that Black was not a mass murderer. He didn't even kill Peter Pettigrew. Actually, Pettigrew was alive and, since he was a bloody Animagus, he had been living as Ronald Weasley's pet rat.

 

Severus could have frothed in sheer rage at the rat. For he was the reason James and Lily were dead: contrary to popular belief, Peter Pettigrew was the one who the Potters trusted their Unplottable location and he had sold them to the Dark Lord. Black was innocent.

 

That was a table turner for Severus. A rat was a good form for a coward, back-stabbing unqualified wizard whose soul he would gleefully collect and send down to the Prince of Darkness. Lupin and Black surely had their minds set on doing just that – killing Pettigrew right then and none would be the wiser. But they’d rather ask Harry what should they do to the person who was responsible for his parents' death. Being Lily's son, the boy decided to deliver Pettigrew to the authorities and let the Dementors have a go at him.

 

Severus hated Dementors. Those foul creatures were a mockery of his office, stealing souls as if they had any claim to them. They were an aberration and wholly unnatural, since even Nature wanted nothing to do with them. Only Satan protected them, for the sheer evil in them.

 

It was clear, though, that Black loathed that decision, and that Pettigrew himself was not sure if not being killed right away was a good thing, given what the Dementors did. For once, Severus agreed with Black.

 

But then someone appeared at the Shrieking Shack. Professor Sinistra, the Astronomy teacher, had followed the trio and was shocked to see what she thought criminal Sirius Black in cahoots with Professor Lupin. She was keen to apprehend both and deliver them to the authorities, but Harry Potter knocked her down. Hermione was shocked that her friend attacked a teacher, and Severus nodded at that.

 

So many things happened after that. The three students and two adults led the prisoner and levitated the unconscious teacher through a secret passage outside the Shrieking Shack, and then the moon came out. It was the full moon, and they knew it had a devastating effect on Lupin.

 

Sirius Black’s pleas to Lupin to take a hold on his head and keep his consciousness fell on deaf lupine ears, of course. Severus was even shocked that Black could be that sentimental and actually believe that their mere friendship would deter a powerful imperative to a werewolf. Black then had no other choice but turn into a dog (he was also an Animagus) to confront the wolf.

 

Fortunately, at that time, Sinistra was up and protected the children as Black tried to steer Lupin away from the students. But Harry, being James’s son, broke free and chased dog and werewolf. Severus swore under his breath and went after the boy, who lost himself in the forest. Some Dementors approached, and Severus’s device began to beep madly.

 

The Dementors attacked Sirius and Harry, and then Severus could hold back no more. He closed his hood and called Mort, who was in his horse form. Swiflty, both appeared near the lake, where the attack was set.

 

It was a sight to see. Death and its daunting steed arose from the trees, looming up ominously toward the foul creatures. Dementors were considered living beings, but their nature was surely from the Great Beyond, and so they immediately recognized Death as it approached. Severus always thought Mort make a much more intimidating figure as a gigantic horse. His valiant steed prove that by making all foul creatures flee in horror.

 

Later, it was said that a powerful Patronus Charm was what caused the Dementors to disperse in such a hurried way. Severus didn’t resent that version. Death was feared enough; he didn’t need the extra publicity.

 

But his attention was grabbed by the arrival of a colleague in the scene. Another Incarnation was there. Severus could not contain his surprise.

 

'Chronos?'

 

'Thanatos?' The personification of Time was used to call Death by the classical name. 'I was wondering if you would come in this version of reality as well.'

 

'This version?'

 

Chronos checked his hourglass before continuing. 'Oh, yes. There has been some time traveling here. This much is clear.'

 

'I think those wizard teens might have something to do with that, then.'

 

The personification of Time turned and sighed. 'Ah. I should have known: wizards. They make my life so hard sometimes.'

 

Death agreed. 'They do that to me, too. Apparently, I don't have a client anymore.'

 

'All is well, then.' He looked at his hourglass once more. 'I must make haste, my friend. Time stops for no one. Drop by sometime, if you can.'

 

'Will do. Farewell, my friend.'

 

And as Chronos left, Severus found himself relieved of having escaped being caught doing things unrelated to the dying business. It was highly unprofessional, to say the least.

 

After the time turner was used, and the hippogriff was saved (also saving Black in the process), Severus deemed Harry safe enough and went back to his job, since it was already getting a remarkable backlog. But he made a mental note to visit Dumbledore and get a few things straight as soon as he could.

 

His intentions might keep on being intentions a while longer, though, he thought, as he went back home and noted he has unexpected company waiting for him in his living room.

 

Satan had come to Spinner’s End.

 


	5. A visit from the Prince of Darkness

##  **Chapter 5 - A visit from the Prince of Darkness**

 

 

‘Death, my homie!’

 

Satan’s outstretched arms were a bizarre sight in Severus’s tiny sitting room. If Severus had his hood down and his face was not a bare skull, his eyebrow would be totally upwards. But he was in Death’s full regalia, his defenses all up.

 

Still, he managed to remain civil.

 

‘Satan? This is a surprise.’

 

The man wore his favorite red suit and a large smile. ‘And it should not be so, don’t you think? Our fields of work are so related; we should do business meetings more often, don’t you agree?’

 

Severus kept all his accoutrements on as he said, ‘You could make a case for that, I am sure. Is there something specific you wish to discuss?’

 

‘Mind if I change first? I always had a predilection for my Hades persona, and I have so few occasions to wear it.’

 

‘Suit yourself.’

 

A man garbed in Greek attire appeared in his place, and Severus thought it was such an improvement over that ridiculous red suit he seemed so fond of wearing. ‘Ah, there,’ exclaimed the Lord of All Evil. ‘It is so elegant!’

 

Severus invited. ‘Please be seated. What can I do for you?’

 

Satan dropped the niceties and complained, ‘You can _stop_ harassing my children. What have my baby Dementors done to you? Why were you so mean to them today?’

 

Severus did not flinch. ‘They were harvesting my clients. I had to intervene.’

 

‘Not true, not true!’, Satan wiggled his finger emphatically. ‘You did not harvest those souls, Sev, my boy. You know the rules: you don’t meddle with us; we don’t meddle with you.’

 

‘Your _boys_ ,’ spat Severus, ‘were preying on a _child_.’

 

‘They are fair game, same as babies, and you know it. Besides, what’s it to you?’ Satan smiled in a predatory way and said mockingly. ‘Oh, I know. That child is the spawn of sweet Lily, isn’t he? He is the son of the love of your life, your beautiful Lily, now lost forever. Oh, poor Severus!’

 

His irony was grating on Severus’s nerves. ‘Please call me Death. This is a business meeting, so let's keep this professional, shall we?’

 

Satan kept on the false irony. ‘You don’t want to antagonize me, now, do you, Sev my boy? Because you and I both know that once your tenure as Death is completed, you will be mine. And let me tell you, just between the two of us, I am saving you a very special place in Hell.’

 

That was a step out of the line and Severus rose as big as his office could be, and used his deepest and most sinister voice to remind the personification of Evil. ‘Well, Your Malevolence, my tenure here is not completed, and until this day comes, I am still Death, and as such, you will respect me and you will respect my office. I do not answer either to you or the personification of Good. You don’t scare me, Satan.’

 

Satan’s evil smirk faltered, but he kept it. ‘You are obviously not scared of me – _yet_. But I will own you, Severus Snape. Don’t think you can undo all the evil you have done in your wretched, miserable life. So, at the end of the day, you will step into my parlor, Severus, my child. And _then_ you will fear me. So enjoy it while you can. And stay away from my Dementors!’

 

With a cloud of dark smoke plus a foul stench, Satan vanished from Severus’s house.

 

Severus looked around. Everything was in its place. And Satan literally went away fuming. Having a go at Satan felt good. Severus might regret that after his death, but it felt really good to tell off the tosser. Amazingly enough, Severus was still in one piece, still had his job and his soul.

 

'That is not a bad way to end the day' thought Death, as he began to weight the harvested souls and prepare to catch some sleep as he contemplated the momentous day he just had.

 

o0o 0o0 o0o

 

Lily's son really had a penchant for trouble, thought Severus a year later, as he crossed a cemetery field to harvest the soul of a young Hufflepuff named Cedric Diggory. Although Severus was no longer a wizard, he could sense something big was about to happen, and then he recognized who was with Potter.

 

Pettigrew.

 

The wretched, cursed, half-excuse for a man who sold Lily's family to Voldemort cradled a bizarre creature in his arms. At the creature's command, Pettigrew killed the Diggory boy and Severus harvested the soul, realizing the creature was none other than Lord Voldemort.

 

Severus had done his job, he was free to go. But something was about to happen and it was grave, so he stayed.

 

That was how he became a witness. That was how he was able to witness a fourteen-year-old boy be used for a spell, then stand up, get challenged to a duel and incredibly escape being murdered by a resurrected Dark Lord. Granted, young Potter had more luck than brains, but still his mere survival was in itself a remarkable feat.

 

The kid disappeared using a portal key, and Severus stayed a few more minutes, watching the events unfold with some of his former colleagues. There were only less than a dozen Death Eaters, and Severus pondered they probably thought the Dark Lord dead and gone, as he had. Later he would berate himself for the maudlin moments in which he realized that he would probably be there as well, had he survived the ominous Halloween of 1981.

 

Voldemort made all of his followers take off their hoods. Unseen, Severus gazed at them for a long time. His first impression was that they were so old. Lucius Malfoy had always been older than Severus, but now he looked over forty. Since Severus had technically died at 22, over forty was practically middle age.

 

Voldemort chastised every one for their lack of faith in him, praising only those in Azkaban. That explained Bellatrix's absence, thought Severus. But in the midst of all the drama, somewhere deep inside him, his former self was delighted to see arrogant Malfoy brought low.

 

His watch blinked: he had to go. Severus checked his device: Harry Potter was safe. But as he was about to leave, he saw a person Apparating to the assembly, someone he immediately recognized. The identity of the newcomer would've chilled him, if it was possible. But his time was up and he didn't want to upset Mort.

 

o0o 0o0 o0o

 

'Wouldn't it be easier if I had a portrait in your place?'

 

Severus bristled internally at the petulance of the Hogwarts headmaster, sugar-coated by the twinkle of his much blue eyes. How dared the mortal?

 

'There is no need,’ he said evenly. ‘I intend to follow Lord Voldemort's activities more closely from now on. And young Harry, too, of course.'

 

Dumbledore was not done with the niceties. 'I can't tell you how much I appreciate this. It means a lot to me.'

 

Severus said, 'Must I remind you I am not allowed to interfere in mortals' affairs? It is not in my place to save the brat if he puts himself in mortal danger. Should he expire, it is not within my power to bring him back to life.'

 

'I understand.'

 

'If it is any consolation to you, there is no interference from any of the other entities that operate on the fringe of the mortal world. No one helps you, but no one helps _him_ , either.'

 

Dumbledore knew quite well to whom he was referring. 'Fair enough, I guess.'

 

'One last thing: is Aurora Sinistra still teaching at Hogwarts?'

 

'Yes,' answered Dumbledore. 'May I enquire why you ask?'

 

'You might want to check where her real loyalties lie. I'll be in touch.'

 

Having said that, Severus took off, for he had a client due in twenty minutes. Harry Potter would have to take care of himself for a while.

 

That was easier said than done, for the device that detected trouble for young Harry went ballistic in a particular hot summer day in Little Winging. Having the time to spare, Severus sped there to find at least three Dementors attacking not only Harry but also another boy, a blonde fat one. Severus snarled at all the sight of the horrid creatures, but recalled Satan's visit and refrained from interference, even though it was against his best judgment. Nevertheless, he watched the events and made sure Harry was safe. When the old woman helped both boys home, Severus stood back. As he made his way to Mort, parked two blocks away, he recognized the scent of sulfur in the air.

 

Satan had been there all the time.

 

o0o 0o0 o0o 0o0

 

'What the hell are you trying to do?'

 

Fate looked furious at him, but Severus replied calmly, 'I was about to get some lunch. Care to join me?'

 

Both of them were standing in front of the Hog's Head, the sordidly-famed pub in the small town of Hogsmeade. Severus was out of his attire, Fate was not.

 

'Do you intend to go in there in plain sight?'

 

'Why are you so upset? We can interact in the mortal world, and you know that.'

 

She was having none of it. 'You are taking a big risk of being recognized. This would upset the cosmic balance. Not to mention screwing up my threads!'

 

'Relax, Marlene. No one here remembers an unremarkable twenty-something nobody who has been dead for ten years. It would be riskier in the Three Broomsticks, but here? I should be fine.'

 

'What do you think you can gain in this seedy pub, anyway? I mean, besides some awful beer and a headache.'

 

'Information. So unless you join me, I bid you a fond farewell.'

 

'Watch out so you don't become tangled in their lives. Remember: we live in the fringe of their world.'

 

Fate went her merry way, and Severus went inside the pub. To call it seedy was an understatement to say the least. No wonder Hogwarts students weren't keen to take their Butterbeers there. Coming to think of it, Severus was not even sure they served those in there.

 

He ordered lunch and a Stout, and he tried to keep his head down, for the old bartender knew him. The whole bar still smelled of goats or something of that ilk. There were a few customers: a witch wrapped in shawls, a man all bandaged, and two other witches with a heavy Yorkshire accent in a corner.

 

His ears were keen to pick up any gossip about the school. The news he gathered from the “Daily Prophet” were bizarre, to say the least. An inquisitor at Hogwarts? Harry Potter discredited about Voldemort's return? That merited a closer look.

 

Still, Severus could not help but remember the most momentous occasion he experienced in the Hog's Head. The moment when his whole life changed, and led him to the same place where it all began. For it had been in the Hog’s Head that he had heard the prophecy, the prophecy that made Voldemort target Lily.

 

All his dark reminiscences dissolved in thin air when a familiar trio of teens walked in. There he was, Lily’s boy with Lily’s eyes, his red-haired Weasley friend and the smart girl. It was at this moment that Severus had to refrain from doing a double take at the girl, Hermione.

 

What had happened to her? She was a young woman, actually, and not a bad looking one. Her figure impressed Severus. Then he reprimanded himself. The girl was perhaps fifteen years old, a mere child. True, Severus was still as young as his 22-year-old self had been when he became Death, but there was an age gap that could not be ignored. And what was he thinking, anyway? Better keep his head on the mission and forget minor distractions.

 

As inconspicuous as he could be, Severus followed the trio’s activities as best as he could. But the bartender kept looking at him, as if trying to jog his memory. It was clear that Severus’s features were familiar to the man, although he couldn’t exactly pinpoint where he knew him. That was a deal breaker: Severus would never try to infiltrate the wizarding world in plainclothes again. Muggles were blissfully unaware of the other side, but wizards had means and tools to catch him.

 

Not for the first time since he became Death, Severus mourned keenly for the loss of his wizarding powers.

 

Then other teens started pouring in the pub, and Severus actually turned his back on them, as if annoyed. His lunch came, and he went about his business trying his best to look as if he were not interested at all in what was happening.

 

Truth be told, Severus was a bit confused after all the teens declared their meeting ended and signed an enchanted paper (another brilliant move from the girl Hermione). Had the situation at Hogwarts deteriorated that much as the kids said? Was it really necessary to make extra classes for self-defense?

 

‘Oh,’ said Dumbledore, smiling in his office. ‘It was a lovely gesture, but Harry shouldn’t have done this. The situation is grave enough as it is.’

 

Severus asked, ‘What is going on in this school? It sounds as if the Ministry of Magic is interfering in Hogwarts!’

 

‘That is most certainly the case, I’m afraid, my friend,’ confirmed Dumbledore. ‘They intend to neutralize me as soon as they can, and young Harry has naively given them the perfect excuse.’

 

‘With extra classes of Defense Against the Dark Arts? How can that be?’

 

‘You are missing the most important point, and the Ministry will not. They already believe I am articulating the overthrow of the Minister of Magic, and now they have even more reason to think so.’

 

‘Dumbledore’s Army…’ Severs repeated. ‘Do you really believe they could think so?’

 

‘They’d rather believe this than believe Lord Voldemort is back.’

 

‘Fools,’ snarled Severus, as he watched his watch blink insistently, indicating he had a client. ‘Sorry to interrupt our chat, but I have to go.’

 

‘Thanks for stopping by. This piece of information will be very useful, my friend. Farewell.’

 

He hardly answered Dumbledore. It was time to get back to his job.

 

Severus had no idea, though, that he was nowhere through interfering in Harry’s life.

 

Or Hermione’s.


	6. An unexpected complication

##  **Chapter 6 – An unexpected complication**

 

 

Only a couple of months after the appearance in the Hog’s Head, his nifty device alerted him Harry was endangering his life. Again.

 

 _“Infernal kid,”_ thought Severus, before hopping on Mort and rushing out of Spinner’s End. Mort led him straight to the Ministry of Magic, and there he went inside the Department of Mysteries.

 

_‘What is going on now?’_

 

It seemed to be late at night and Severus realized there were six kids being chased by Death Eaters. He only recognized three of the kids and two of the Death Eaters: Bellatrix Lestrange and Lucius Malfoy, on one side, and Harry Potter and his two friends, on the other side.

 

He followed them and watched as they split: Harry and Hermione ran with a clumsy-looking kid, while the Weasley boy went the other way with two girls. Severus recognized one of the other girls as the Weasley who got stuck in the Chamber of Secrets with a basilisk.

 

His attention was back to Hermione, now blooming as a beautiful fifteen-year old. Then Severus recognized, with no small amount of alarm, that they were being chased by Antonin Dolohov. His insides twisted in fear.

 

Dolohov was one of the Dark Lord's oldest followers, dating back from the time Lord Voldemort still carried the name Tom Riddle. As faithful as vicious, Dolohov would not hesitate to kill any of the children.

 

Including Hermione.

 

Using Death's accoutrements, Severus came into the fray with the full intent to protect the youngsters, but was pleasantly surprised by Hermione Granger. She cast a Silence spell on Dolohov, as they went inside one of the rooms of the Department of Mysteries. It was a smart move.

 

Severus watched as Dolohov, seething with anger, used his wand and tried to cast an enchantment on Hermione despite his muteness. The personification of Death put himself between the girl and the spell, knowing full well it might be utterly useless.

 

'Oh,' was all he heard the teen whisper, before her body went limp right in the middle of the battlefield. Severus swooped in, still invisible, and covered her body with his own to prevent her from being hit by a stray spell.

 

Being this close to the girl came with an unexpected silver lining: Severus was able to admire her up and close. What a treat.

 

Her hair looked quite different from before, and Severus could tell her skin was soft even though he was not touching it. This hardly was a romantic situation, yet Severus could not help himself. He was a healthy 22-year-old er, immortal incarnation.

 

"Perhaps I have been lonely for too long," he thought.

 

The boys moved her, and Severus was not quite sure of what to do next as the fight went on. The last thing on his mind, though, was the job. So, naturally, that was when his watch indicated he had a client in ten minutes.

 

Severus snarled in anger, and assessed the situation. He still had ten minutes, the fighting was in full swing, and the device was hysterical by the amount of danger upon Harry. There was a good chance both instruments were aimed at the same person.

 

Then the fight went on to another room, one that had a huge structure with an old veil. Severus could hear the voices from beyond the drapery, and somehow, he was sure that the voices were coming from beyond the grave. It was eerie, even from Death itself.

 

All of a sudden, the Order of the Phoenix arrived at the scene. Severus watched his former allies (he was a member of the Order since the Dark Lord marked Lily) joined the battle. With relief, he saw them protect the teens and fight the Dark Lord's followers. Remus Lupin, Mad-Eye Moody, Sirius Black and old Kingsley Shacklebolt were the ones who caught his attention.

 

There was a young woman, and Severus recognized her as new Order member by the name of Nymphadora Tonks. She helped get Hermione away from the fight. That brought Severus a bit of relief.

 

Then the arrow appeared and Severus knew that he was there to collect a soul from one of the Order's members. He saw Sirius fighting side by side with Harry and considered the boy protected enough for him to figure out who was his client. But the arrow pointed at them.

 

Two minutes now.

 

Then Bellatrix Lestrange happened. As annoying as Severus recalled her. She began taunting Sirius Black, and the disowned member of the most noble family responded in kind.

 

Suddenly, his alarm watch pointed at Sirius, and it was time to collect his soul. In a simultaneous series of actions, the deranged witch threw a red light from her wand, Severus stepped forward to collect the soul and at this time he became visible to Sirius. His former school colleague swore softly as he both got hit from Bellatrix's curse and realized Death's presence. Sirius fixated his eyes on Severus as he slowly fell in the portal hidden behind the veil.

 

It was safe to say that Severus felt no satisfaction in collecting the soul of one of his tormentors during his schooldays. It was even truer when he witnessed Harry's reaction. The poor kid lost it and ran after Bellatrix. The mad woman was laughing and chanting, 'I killed Sirius Black' with a singsong voice. Even Severus felt inclined to collect her soul. But he knew Satan was probably eagerly waiting for her arrival at his domains. Also, the mess such action would create with his fellow Incarnations was not worth the bother, no matter how much she deserved it.

 

To Severus's surprise, the Dark Lord himself appeared in the fight. Severus checked his watch: surprisingly enough, no one else was scheduled to die on that battle. And at that moment, he understood the reason. Dumbledore and a bunch of Aurors arrived at the scene.

 

What ensued was one of the most thrilling duels the wizarding world had ever seen. Too bad the only wizard to witness it was Harry Potter, and the Dark Lord tried to possess him - to no avail.

 

Things only became exceedingly interesting when Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic himself, arrived just in time to see the Dark Lord right in front of him. Fewer times Severus had seen so pale a face in a living body that was not riddled/addled by illnesses.

 

His attention turned to an upcoming client, and he was reluctant to leave. However, Severus figured that, with Dumbledore by his side, Harry Potter was as safe as he could be. So he went back to his job.

 

o0o 0o0 o0o 0o0

 

Severus tried hard not to berate himself. In the end, there was nothing to it. But there he was, in the dead of night, in the hospital wing, watching over Hermione. She was peacefully asleep. It was dark and quiet, and very satisfying to Severus. He was relieved to see she was not in pain.

 

It was not a matter of mistrust of Madame Pomfrey's abilities. Merlin knew the school nurse was one of the most competent members of the staff. But Severus knew Dolohov, and his curses not only were vicious; they were mortal.

 

The nurse was fast asleep near her patient. Severus took off his Death cloak so he wouldn't make a sound in the empty infirmary. He sat beside the bed and inspected the potions at her bed table. There were at last a dozen. And as he feared, they were all prescribed to treat internal injuries.

 

'Curse you, Dolohov,' he thought hotly. Hermione had been extremely lucky.

 

Severus looked at her once more and found her big brown eyes fixed on him. He had his cloak off, so she could see him.

 

'I didn't mean to wake you,' he said in a low voice. 'Sorry about that.'

 

'It is all right,' she answered.

 

Severus saw that she was calm, and he asked, 'Do you feel better? Are the potions working?'

 

'Yes, they are, thanks for asking. Who are you?'

 

The question almost caught him off guard. 'My name is Severus. Professor Dumbledore asked for my assistance. I came here to inspect your potions. Now I will let you get back to sleep.'

 

'Do you have to go now?'

 

'You really shouldn't take your rest lightly. The curse you took was a powerful one, of lethal force. You are lucky.'

 

She smiled. 'Madame Pomfrey said the same thing. But she never mentioned you.'

 

A bit awkwardly, he admitted, 'I was not supposed to be here. So if you could just keep this between ourselves, I'd appreciate it. Or just the headmaster.'

 

'Harry said there is always a member of the Order watching over him.'

 

'Well, not only him,' he rectified. 'Now go back to sleep.'

 

'Will you be back to see me?'

 

'I will. But if I do it right, you won't see me.'

 

'Have you done this before?'

 

'Maybe. Now please sleep, Ms. Granger. You will feel better.'

 

'I will. Thank you, Severus.'

 

Severus surprised himself by tucking her in as a little girl. As soon as she closed her eyes, he put on his cloak and disappeared into thin air. But he was still there when suddenly Hermione sat on the bed, looking around for him.

 

o0o 0o0 o0o 0o0

 

'Well, aren't you going chew me off?'

 

They were in the Abode of Fate. Lachesis, the weaver, was busy weaving a thread of a huge tapestry. She never stopped her work. 'Why would I lecture you after your stupid actions?'

 

'I didn't plan to be seen,' replied him.

 

'Nor to fall for her, of course.'

 

Severus was chastised. 'Is it so obvious?'

 

'No, not really. But you are acting a lot like you did with Lily.' She kept on spinning her spindle by hand. 'Do I need to remind you the girl is a teenager? And that pursuing her is an actual crime?'

 

'I have no intention of pursuing her.'

 

Fate snorted. 'Of course not. You will follow her forever, pining after your doomed love, destined to be forever alone.'

 

His face turned sour. 'You know; many mortals have no idea how right they are to think that Fate is sarcastic.'

 

'Sorry about it. But surely you can see a pattern.'

 

'Does this pattern of yours appear clearly in your tapestry?'

 

Fate looked to the ceiling, where hung the huge tapestry of life. 'So you don't know what the threads and knots mean?'

 

'Of course not.'

 

'Good,' she said, turning back to the spinning. 'Keep it that way.'

 

Severus was about to retort something acid and scathing, but his watch flashed, indicating a client coming soon. 'I must go now.'

 

'Thanks for stopping by. It was nice.'

 

Severus grunted and left. Much as time, death awaits no man.

 

o0o 0o0 o0o 0o0

 

'It was nice of you to visit before we meet in a professional way.'

 

Severus looked around Dumbledore's office, recognizing a familiar air around him. He frowned. There was death in there.

 

'Are you dying?'

 

'As a matter of fact, yes. Aurora says I have a year at best.'

 

'How-'

 

'Let's not dwell on that, for all that could be done has been. I heard you appeared to Miss Granger a while ago.'

 

'Do not change the subject. You say Aurora is taking care of you? Aurora Sinistra?'

 

'Professor Sinistra has been my Potions Mistress for more than a decade. She is a very competent member of the Hogwarts staff.'

 

'Did you know she is also a Death Eater?'

 

'Oh, yes, of course. She is also a spy of the Order of the Phoenix. And a good one at that, too.'

 

'Really? How do you reckon so?'

 

'She came to me looking for a way to defeat Lord Voldemort. She wanted to quit his service and tell me all about his plans and his associates, before she died.'

 

'She must have been suicidal!' said Severus. 'No one quits the Dark Lord and survives to tell the tale.'

 

'Most true, yes, she was quite suicidal. You must remember how Lord Voldemort treats unmarried, unattached women.’

 

Severus pressed his lips, recalling with disgust the sheer amount of depravation and indignity that lady Death Eaters were subjected. No wonder they had so few or that some rushed into ill-matched marriages.

 

‘And that was her motivation for being a spy?’

 

'That on the top of the murder of her Muggleborn fiancé. She is driven by revenge. And a desire to stop Voldemort.'

 

'I wish, for the sake of all of you, that she is good at the job. The Dark Lord will not hesitate to use her against you if her cover is blown.'

 

'I am well aware of that,' said the headmaster. 'But I've been meaning to tell you about a delightful conversation I had some time ago with Miss Granger. She told me you visited her in the hospital wing.'

 

'That much is true.'

 

'I wondered why you haven't made her forget that encounter. Or why you talked to her without your -' he hesitated, 'garb.'

 

'Since I became Death, I lost all my wizarding powers. I wish I could make her forget that night but alas I cannot. I also happened to be out of uniform at that time, that's why she could see me.'

 

'She seems to be under the impression that you are a super-secret spy for the Order of the Phoenix. I haven't had the heart to tell her the truth. And it is ironic.'

 

'Ironic?,' repeated Severus.

 

'Well, after all, you _are_ a sort of spy for the Order, are you not? I had plans for you, my boy. I planned on offering you a teaching position here at Hogwarts. Professor Slughorn always had great hopes in your Potions skills. He even took you to that exclusive club of his.'

 

'And that was how you also could keep me around for the spying thing. But alas I was dead. So you recruited Miss Sinistra for the job.'

 

'She is a woman of great valor, not to mention courage. For I sense things are coming to an end. And I must tell you about my suspicions before it's too late. Do you have some time to spare?'

 

Actually, Severus did have the time, but he wished he didn't. Dumbledore told him about the horcruxes the Dark Lord made and how he suspected Harry Potter himself was one of them. So, Dumbledore wanted the boy alive and safe until the time was right to conquer the evil sorcerer.

 

That was enough to make Severus almost fly off the handle. He felt used, and did not hesitate to say so. He was so irate he actually screamed at the old man for using both him and the boy, with no respect for his office. Severus left Hogwarts in a fit, and went back to Spinner's End, intent on cooling off. The petulance of the old coot!

 

Severus's heart was determined to never set foot on that school ever again. Using the boy like that was totally inhumane. It was Lily's son! The whole affair felt somewhat sacrilegious to him. How dared Dumbledore make schemes with a child like that? That old coot’s soul was one that he would like to collect personally.

 

As it happens, his wish came true. A few months later, Severus went back to Hogwarts, this time on a mission. He had a client there. The client's name was Albus Percival Wulfric Dumbledore.

 

There was no time nor need for words. At the top of the Astronomy Tower, Severus personally collected the headmaster's soul, before he was hit by a Killing Spell right in the chest. The personification of Death took his time to look at the person who had cast the spell.

 

Aurora Sinistra.

 


	7. Amidst the war

 

##  **Chapter 7 – Amidst the war**

 

Dumbledore's death kept Severus away from reliable news in extremely dire circumstances. The whole wizarding world seemed to have been taken by the Dark Lord, there were literal witch hunts all over, and the enemy number one of the State was Harry Potter.

 

As Severus collected dozens of souls, he also kept an eye on Lily's son as he cavorted all over the place looking for answers and ways of defeating the evil installed in Wizarding Britain. The incarnation of Death was still angry at Dumbledore, so much that it took him months to look for his portrait at Hogwarts.

 

In the end, though, Severus was glad he could still talk to the old man, even if it was in his portrait form. His replacement as Hogwarts principal was no other than his murderess, Professor Sinistra.

 

Severus threw a fit.

 

'That was the plan all along, Severus,' guaranteed Dumbledore, from his portrait. The office was empty, except for the portraits. 'Had Aurora refused to kill me, she would never have had Voldemort's trust to be appointed Hogwarts headmistress.'

 

'And did she agree to this?'

 

The portrait looked a bit embarrassed for a second, before regaining his composure to answer, 'I believe she saw the inevitability of it. And I also asked her, as a favor.'

 

'You ask really big favors, Dumbledore.'

 

'These are difficult times, I am afraid. I once thought I would have you by my side, but Aurora really surprised me.'

 

'You wanted me to kill you? I am not sure I would be able to do that big a favor.'

 

'But are you still keeping an eye on young Harry? The poor lad is on the run, yet there is a tiny thing I need to deliver him.'

 

Severus was sincere. 'I do what I can, and it may not be much. He surely won’t trust any stranger. Perhaps Miss Granger remembers me.'

 

The portrait rose an eyebrow. 'Why, I dare say she might. If she does, would you care to do me a small favor? For old time’s sake?’

 

Severus rolled his non-existent eyes in the sockets of his skull.

 

o0o 0o0 o0o 0o0

 

In retrospect, Severus should have known it would not be easy. They were three teens all alone against none other than the Dark Lord. After living with the Regulus Black experience, Severus knew it was tricky. But that didn't stop him from trying.

 

His first decision was to appear in full attire.

 

_'Expelliarmus!'_

 

Severus rolled his eyes. 'You can put your wand away now. I am here at the request of Professor Dumbledore. I mean you no harm.’

 

Alone in the Forest Dean, a bit away from the magical tent where his two companions rested, Harry Potter, aka Undesirable Number One, was having none of it. 'Dumbledore was not friends of any Death Eater!' he spat.

 

Good grief, the boy was thick, thought Severus. But he needed to gain their confidence. So he delved for his patience reserves. 'I am not a Death Eater. My name is Severus. I am the one who came to see Hermione Granger in the hospital wing a few years ago. She knows my name. You talk to her and I will return to let you know you can trust me.'

 

And Severus disappeared. But he didn't go away. He stayed invisible and watched the interaction among the trio.

 

'So who is he?' Harry asked Hermione once inside the tent.

 

Severus watched the girl. Actually, she was a young lady, blooming like a young bud of a flower. Her eyes were still bright, sparkling as she talked.

 

'He is not a threat,' guaranteed the girl. 'He said the truth. I did meet him at Hogwarts and Professor Dumbledore vouched for him. But I don't know his real name.'

 

Severus raised an eyebrow. Ron Weasley asked, 'What do you mean?'

 

Hermione said, 'He uses the name of a dead man. I did some digging at that time. Severus Snape was member of the original Order of the Phoenix. He went to Hogwarts with Sirius, James Potter and Remus Lupin. He was found dead in his home a few days after your parents were killed, Harry. And... he was also a Death Eater.'

 

Weasley asked, 'Could this Snape guy be alive?'

 

'Hard to say with absolute certainty,' admitted Hermione. 'But Dumbledore said this man was helping to keep Harry safe. So I just trusted him and never bothered to find out who that man really was.'

 

'Should we trust him?'

 

'Dumbledore trusted him.'

 

'Dumbledore also trusted that snake Sinistra,' recalled Harry, almost snarling. 'Look where it got him.'

 

'I propose we hear him out,' said Hermione. 'And then we immediately move away from here, because we still don't know how he found us. He might call on You-Know-Who and hand us over to him.'

 

Smart girl, thought Severus, not for the first time, this time a bit of pride, realizing that she was a good combination of looks and brains. And yes, was she a looker.

 

Hermione tended to be on the petite side, her formerly frizzy hair was now wavy. She most certainly filled in, and Severus was not embarrassed to realize that she was a very attractive seventeen-year-old. In a flash, he realized they now were only five years apart in age.

 

That gave Severus a strange feeling. Actually, not a _strange_ feeling, more like an odd sensation. And in that moment, he recalled an old spell, one that had not occurred to him in years.

 

_Erectus deflatus._

 

o0o 0o0 o0o 0o0

 

‘Thanatos, why are you so gloomy?’

 

Chronos loved to call him by the old, traditional Greek names. It seemed to be a favorite thing among most Incarnations of Immortality. Chronos was also a Greek name, but Satan loved his Hades’s costume, as well as Fate, who wanted to be called either by Clotho, Lachesis or Atropos (once she even tried to tell Severus to call her either The Spinner, The Apportioner or The Inevitable!). War actually preferred the Roman name Mars, and Nature was so motherly that she smiled whenever he called her Green Mother instead of Gaia.

 

Immortal folk were weird, he thought. Maybe it had to do with watching the living for so long.

 

Severus tried to answer his colleague of Time as truthful as he could be. ‘I would not say gloomy. I may be in love.’

 

‘Oh, I am not sure there is much difference between the two of them. Is she alive?’

 

‘Of course she is alive,’ snarled Severus, but then his animosity melted. ‘Oh. I see why you ask. No, it is another one, and she is living.’

 

‘Congratulations, mate!’ Chronos slapped him in the back. ‘You grew out of that puppy love at last. It was about time, if I may say so.’

 

Severus just glared at him. The personification of Time abandoned the fun demeanor and asked him, earnestly, ‘Would you like to talk about it?’

 

‘No, thank you.’ Severus watched him go despondent, so he added, ‘but I appreciate the asking.’

 

Chronos smiled. ‘Anytime, mate. Anytime.’

 

o0o 0o0 o0o 0o0

 

Harry Potter was once again on guard at the Forest of Dean, and suddenly, there was a huge pale horse standing before him. That guy Severus was riding it.

 

‘Where did you come from?’

 

‘I can be very discreet when I want,’ was his reply. ‘I came for an answer. Do I have your trust?’

 

Harry frowned. ‘We want to ask a few questions first, if that’s OK with you.’

 

The man glared at him for a few seconds, then answered, ‘Fair enough.’

 

Harry watched as he promptly dismounted the horse, and ordered, ‘Stick around, Mort.’

 

As if understanding his master, the beast trotted off in a low pace. Harry watched as the man turned to him and raised an eyebrow, asking, ‘Shall we, then?’

 

The Undesirable Number One later would consider that a very odd gathering: the three of them were inside the magical tent sharing a cuppa with the unknown man who once had visited Hermione in the hospital wing of Hogwarts. Yet they did not feel he would betray them. Harry thought the man was extremely creepy, though.

 

‘That is very good tea, thank you,’ said Severus. ‘I know you are anxious to pose me questions. Please do so.’

 

‘Who are you?,’ shot Hermione without waiting for any of the other two. ‘And why do you use a dead man’s name?’

 

‘Two questions, and very good ones actually. I am a friend, that’s all I can say. As you can see, I have been acting in Dumbledore’s behalf for some time now. I am not associated with the wizard you call You-Know-Who. By the way, I know why you must call him that way, and I suggest you continue to do so. Dumbledore was very reckless to call him by his name.’

 

Ron asked, ‘Since you mentioned names, what is yours?’

 

‘I ask you to continue calling me Severus.’

 

‘Severus Snape has been dead for more than 15 years. You are far too young to be the man.’

 

‘He has been dead, indeed’ sighed the man. ‘I suppose you know about him.’

 

‘Yes, a bit,’ answered Hermione. ‘Why do you use his name?’

 

‘To honor him, I guess,’ was the answer. ‘Severus Snape tried to save your mother, Harry Potter. When he couldn’t do that, he became so despondent that he took his own life.’

 

Harry was surprised. ‘He knew my mother?’

 

‘They were good friends at some time. Same year at Hogwarts, both had Muggle backgrounds. Your aunt Petunia knew him.’

 

All of that was news to Harry. Too bad he would not look for his aunt to question her about that.

 

‘What’s him to you?’ asked Ron. ‘Are you his long lost brother or something?’

 

‘No, nothing of that sort. I just like to think that I am doing what Severus would have done, if he had survived that horrible night.’

 

Hermione looked at the man with her keenest glance, and Harry knew that her brains were connecting things, although he couldn’t see any connection at all. She said, ‘You are telling the truth.’

 

The man raised an eyebrow, ‘Oh, did you put Veritaserum here? I couldn’t recognize the taste.’

 

‘No, there’s no truth potion here. It’s just that you are being honest, and it shows.’

 

He nodded, ‘Yes, I am completely honest with you. That’s why I want you to know there are many things I cannot do to help you. There are also secrets I must keep, some of which are Dumbledore’s secrets. Also, I must do everything I can to help defeat the Dark Lord. I must talk to Dumbledore shortly, so I will return to you.’

 

Ron warned, ‘We won’t be here. We must keep moving.’

 

‘Very wise of you’, praised Severus. ‘I can find you, don’t worry.’

 

Harry asked, ‘Dumbledore’s been dead since June! How can you talk to him?’

 

‘His portrait has awoken in his office. I have talked to him.’

 

Harry became nervous and consulted Hermione, who frowned. Ron was at the verge of pointing his wand at the man. ‘So you have access to Aurora Sinistra’s office?’, asked the girl cautiously.

 

Severus answered, ‘I have means of coming inside Hogwarts that wizards cannot understand.’

 

‘You talk as if you are not a wizard.’

 

‘I am not.’

 

The three teens were even more alarmed. ‘But you cannot possibly be Muggle!’ said Ron.

 

‘Correct,’ said Severus, and Harry realized how calm he was. ‘I am neither wizard nor Muggle. I am something else. I hope this is not a problem to you.’

 

Hermione asked, intrigued, ‘What kind of magical creature are you? You look completely human…!’

 

‘Who said I am not, in some way? But please don’t worry about it. The only unfortunate circumstance of my not being a wizard is that I don’t have the same magical powers you do. So, and I have said it before, there are many things I cannot do for you. But I can, for instance, bring some food next time I come. I can see you are running low on provisions. I will bring some nonperishable goods, if that is all right by you.’

 

‘Why are you doing this?’

 

‘I told you before: it is very important to help you defeat that horrible man. Also, I can’t imagine Lily would approve of her son stealing food.’ Harry felt his face grow red. ‘Ah, it is as I imagined. Well, I will do what I can.’

 

‘If you can’t do many things, what can you do?’

 

‘Dumbledore has required me to bring you a certain item that will help you defeat the Dark Lord. It was imperative that you trust me before I could bring it to you. You see, very soon, You-Know-Who will realize that you are not just escaping him, but that you are seeking the means to destroy him.’

 

That sent another wave of tension in the tent. Harry was alarmed and asked, ‘What do you know about it?’

 

Severus answered. ‘Dumbledore has shared with me a limited knowledge on this subject. He is right: this is not something to be blabbering about, so you do not use the word of the objects the Dark Lord used. Anyway, once he realizes the item I will give you is missing, he will protect his precious possessions. You will need to be thrice as careful. You will need to stick together.’

 

Harry saw that the man was looking at Hermione when he said that. Why was he doing that? Did he expect Hermione to take off when thing got tougher? Ah, the bloke definitely knew nothing about Mione!

 

‘We get it,’ said Ron. ‘Are you sure you can bring us food? How much are you talking about?’

 

For the first time, the man showed a half-smile. ‘I will try to bring as much as I can, but that might not be much. I have no magical objects that are bigger on the inside, like this nifty tent.’

 

They all smiled at this, and Severus was fixed on Hermione’s face by this time. Harry frowned. Wait a minute. Was this bloke _hitting_ on Hermione?

 

Suddenly, his watch started flashing. ‘If we agree on this, now you will excuse me. I have business elsewhere.’

 

Hermione asked, ‘When will you be back?’

 

‘Sorry, I can’t tell you a date. But be sure I will find you. Now farewell and be safe.’

 

With no so much as a goodbye, he stood up and left the tent. Harry ran after him, and he was able to see him mounting his horse quickly and simply vanishing in the middle of the forest. Harry was so astonished that all he could do was look behind him, and see Ron and Hermione equally amazed.

 

Who could he be?

 

o0o 0o0 o0o 0o0

 

In her comfy Abode, Fate contemplated her tapestry, keenly observing the hundreds of dots and points spreading in her immense loom. Her Lachesis persona could see threads shifting, threads moving, some shortening and others lengthening. There was nothing new, but they were threads belonging to people that were not supposed to make such shifts.

 

She was not responsible for those changes. People weaved their own destiny with their choices and actions, which lead to consequences. Fate’s job was to spin the yarn as Clotho, measure the thread as Lachesis and cut the thread as Atropos. That was Fate’s job. Fate didn’t change things.

 

But Fate also saw there were also changes happening outside the threads. This made her lift an eyebrow and wonder. She looked even more acutely at the tapestry. Big things were happening, she just knew it.

 

Lachesis gave up the body to her younger Clotho persona. It was time to spin some new yarn.

 

Wasn’t that interesting?

## 


	8. Heartaches and preparations

##  **Chapter 8 – Heartaches and preparations**

 

 

The second time Severus went to the makeshift tent, making good on his promise to help them, he could feel the teens now trusted him. But for different reasons.

 

To the Weasley boy, the reason for his trust was that Severus brought food. Severus was sure that, had the Dark Lord any reason to do so, he could conquer the boy with a pack of Oreos. And to Harry Potter, his trust (which seemed feeble, frankly) grew a lot when he appeared with the Gryffindor sword. His green eyes lit when Severus spoke about Dumbledore’s instructions, and he was reminded of Lily so much it hurt a bit.

 

But then Hermione showed her trust. And it was as he imagined it would be with her: Hermione trusted Severus because Severus had information. Reliable and logical information. Hermione trusted practical things, and Severus knew it. Shamelessly, he admitted that there was a lot one could learn about the other when he could observe them from an invisible position.

 

‘I will try to help you when I can,’ Severus said. ‘From now on, though, I cannot guarantee I will be able to do that.’

 

Hermione smiled, ‘You have done a lot, Severus. Thank you.’

 

‘Remember,’ he warned her, ‘once you destroy the first one, it’s likely that he may sense it and come after you. Be as careful as you can be.’

 

It was strange that the word Horcrux was not spoken, yet it was understood. Hermione nodded gravely.

 

She was so lovely, thought Severus. Even lovelier when she was worried. He could almost see the cogs of her powerful brain turning as she saw not only two but three or four alternatives of action. Hermione could do that in a flash, and in doing so her adorable little nose would scrunch up as she frowned her gorgeous face.

 

Chronos would never let him live it down. He was so in love it was sickening!

 

Then Ron Weasley came in the tent. He looked different. And Severus’s accoutrements went mad.

 

The teens felt that and became tense.

 

‘What’s happening?’, asked Harry, alarmed.

 

‘I am not sure,’ said Severus. ‘Please stand back. This is sensitive equipment.’

 

‘ **You** **!** ,’ frothed Weasley at Severus, worked up in a rage. ‘You tell us nothing, you bring us food and expect us to fall into your lap as little dogs as you _flirt_ with my girlfriend and may be very well selling us to You-know-Who!”

 

Hermione exclaimed, ‘Ron!’

 

Harry tried to intervene, ‘Ron, give me the necklace.’

 

Weasley was still charging against Severus, and the presence of the Horcrux was affecting Death’s instruments. The piece of a soul inside the locket was meddling with all the devices Severus used. Also, the boy seemed possessed.

 

‘Let me go, Harry!’ cried Weasley. ‘He doesn't fool me! And you are just like him: you are _both_ hitting on Hermione!’

 

‘Stop that, Ron!’ said the girl. ‘This is not you! It is the necklace! It preys on you! Give it to Harry!’

 

‘Ron, mate, please,’ said Harry. ‘You’ve been too long with the necklace. Give it to me, OK?’

 

Sensing things would not end well, Severus retreated and urged, ‘Potter, use the sword! Use it _now!’_

 

Then all hell broke loose. Harry wrestled with Ron to take the necklace away, Hermione tried to protect both her friends, Severus struggled to keep his devices from harvesting that piece of soul wriggling inside the jewelry. Things became thoroughly confused for a while, as the four of them battled for control. The magic inside the tent was so wild that the necklace literally flew to the ground, and emitted a dark, ominous smoke that hissed and a voice Severus hadn't heard in more than a decade sounded as if spoken directly in their ears.

 

'You defy me. You think you can defeat me. All of you are weak and shall be vanquished. The Mudblood, the pure blood traitor and the boy who lived are dead people walking. And there is  literal death walking. I see you, Severus. You look for redemption, for love. But you can no longer atone for your sins because -'

 

**Wham!**

 

Severus could not recall when or how, but he picked up the Gryffindor sword and slammed the enchanted necklace with it. Smoke filled the entire tent, and a horrible shriek made them all cover their ears, as if it were the sound of something very unholy dying.

 

Suddenly, it stopped. Severus felt a ringing in his ears as silence fell around them.

 

The teens looked at each other, as if trying to reassure they were all in one piece. Severus put down the sword and asked, 'Are you all right?'

 

With various nods, the kids recovered their breath. Weasley was the first to ask, 'What happened?'

 

Severus answered, 'You have just witnessed something that will happen each time you destroy one of those foul accursed objects.' He pointed, 'The sword is able to destroy them. Take good care of it. Good luck.'

 

As he turned to leave, Hermione called him, 'Wait! Are you leaving?'

 

'I told you I can't help much,' warned Severus. 'I must go.'

 

Harry Potter took a step towards him, hand extended. 'Severus, thank you for everything.'

 

They shook hands, and the Weasley boy nodded, 'Yeah, mate, thank you. You know, for saving us.'

 

Severus nodded to the red-haired boy. But before he could react, he felt a body being thrown right in his arms, and Hermione's muffled voice sounding, 'Thank you.'

 

Severus was paralyzed as he felt her warm, lithe body against his in a heartfelt hug. She was a shapely young woman and his body hadn't held one as such in a very long time.

 

With difficulty, Severus extricated her body from his. Without difficulty, he smiled and said, looking in her eyes, 'You are very welcome.'

 

Turning around quickly, Severus went out of the tent and exhaled. Only then did he realize he was holding his breath.

 

He mounted Mort, who was waiting for him with a very puzzled expression. Severus could swear the horse was judging him.

 

o0o 0o0 o0o 0o0

 

Severus could not say for sure how much time had passed since he had last seen the teens. He realized that his infatuation for Hermione had begun to make him bitter. Perhaps that was the reason he stopped going to the tent unseen. He stopped going altogether.

 

Lilly came back to his mind. It was strange to think about her now, not experiencing pain or love, but affection. He missed his friend, the one brought sunshine and life to his miserable existence.

 

Taking care of Lilly's son did make him feel redeemed or at least in the road to redemption. He was quite conscious that saving Harry might be damned well impossible, given Dumbledore's conviction that the boy should die.

 

Finding Hermione while doing that was an added bonus.

 

‘Thanatos, my friend,’ said Chronos in a friendly tone, ‘I take it you and your beloved are still a mystery to each other.’

 

‘She will never be mine,’ said Severus despondently. ‘She has already a suitor.’

 

‘Which century are you, mate? Seventeenth? Women don’t have _suitors_ anymore. If there is a bloke interested in your girl, you go and get her!’

 

Severus sighed, ‘It’s not that easy. He is what the Americans call a high school sweetheart.’

 

Chronos said, ‘Yes, of course. You used to be English, right? Not to worry, my friend. Even for a backwards man like me, you seem very likely to succeed in the arts of love.’

 

That piqued Severus’s interest. ‘Why do you say that, Chronos?’

 

The personification of Time looked quite downhearted as well. ‘Being someone travelling backwards in the timeline of everybody else can take its toll, I tell you. I can see everyone’s future, but mine. Yet I also travel backwards from time to time. You see, now I think I am about to gain my lover.’

 

‘Is that such a bad thing?’

 

Chronos was sincere. ‘Well, I remember now the fights and all the pain of our break up. It was so hurtful! I really hope that the passion and the romance of love’s stirring will have compensated.’

 

‘You shouldn’t complain to having loved and lost,’ said Severus gravely. ‘You have been on the future and you know all things end, with time.’

 

For a moment, Chronos kept his silence. Then he said, ‘Thanatos, you know I have a commitment to my office to never reveal anyone’s future. But trust me, in this. And by me, I mean, trust the office. Like the tides, times always change.’

 

Severus looked strangely at his friend. Chronos had never been this maudlin before. Perhaps something big was coming to this timeline.

 

In hindsight, perhaps Severus should have discussed his heartache with Fate. That woman would never reveal anything about his path in life, but she surely was a refreshing wakeup call to his priorities.

 

Soon, though, he would have other priorities.

 

o0o 0o0 o0o 0o0

 

The device warned him that Harry Potter was yet in another life-threatening situation. This was not unexpected, given what they were trying to accomplish. Severus decided to supervise that situation.

 

He found himself inside the cellar of the Malfoy Manor. He was invisible, but he could see a house elf transport two people. Inside the cellar, clearly as prisoners, remained Harry and Ron. Severus was about to make himself known to the boys when a blood-curling scream was heard from above. He knew it was Hermione.

 

Severus almost panicked. Hermione's screams grated directly on his nerves. His insides twisted.

 

Weasley turned to Harry, frantically, 'What are they doing to her?'

 

Severus decided to act. He went upstairs and the scene before him almost stopped his heart. Hermione was being tortured by none other than Bellatrix Lestrange.

 

Quickly, invisibly, Severus threw the first thing he saw and produced a noise from the other side of Malfoy's large sitting room. The echo piqued Bellatrix's attention and she stopped what she was doing.

 

'Who's there?'

 

Still invisible to mortals, Severus came close to the bound girl and whispered, 'Hermione, it is me, Severus. Just listen: close your eyes and don't open them until you hear Harry's voice. We will rescue you.'

 

To the girl's credit, she did not say a word, although Severus could distinctly hear a quiet sigh. She closed her eyes as ordered. Then Severus did the unthinkable.

 

The incarnation of Death rose to his full figure and donned all his garb before becoming completely visible. He even pulled his famous scythe (the long one, his favorite), and used his most intimidating voice to utter, 'YOU! Despicable woman who follows a mortal man! You are a servant of a foolish mortal man who defies _me!'_

 

Bellatrix became even more demented than her usual self. 'Th-this c-can't be true!'

 

Then Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley erupted from the Malfoy Manor's bowls. Harry cried, _'Expelliarmus!'_

 

Disarming Bellatrix was the perfect diversion Severus needed to simply vanish into thin air. Hermione lept to her feet, the shouts attracted other inhabitants of the mansion and a duel was on.

 

Severus's watch began flashing and his heart went cold. Someone was going to die!

 

_Not Hermione, not Hermione, please please not her..._

 

The duel went on, and the arrow in Severus's accoutrements began flashing towards his client. There was such a confusion that he could not say, at first, if it was the Weasley boy, the elf or a goblin who suddenly appeared in the melee. Harry Potter was wrestling Draco Malfoy for the possession of a wand. He won it and joined the group.

 

And it was just in time, for they all disapparated the same moment Bellatrix threw a small, sharpened dagger.

 

_Damn._

 

Severus called Mort and went after his client. He appeared by a seashore, along with the others. Severus knew then his client was the house elf. The creature stared at him, still standing. It was clear the elf could see him. As usual, the client could always see Death.

 

'You came for me, sir?'

 

Severus nodded. The elf smiled. 'I am honored.'

 

Gently, because he knew this was a gentle creature, the Incarnation of Death harvested his soul. He still granted the elf a few moments to say goodbye to his friends. It was obvious that the elf was very dear to Potter and his friends.

 

It was no surprise that, later that day, this soul ascended.

 

o0o 0o0 o0o 0o0

 

With pain in her heart, Fate stared at the tapestry, pondering for a few minutes. All three aspects were busy with the implications. Dozens of threads were changing, and she knew her Atropos persona was about to have a lot of work. All three were really sad.

 

'I thought you'd be more helpful than Chronos,' said Severus, breaking the silence. 'At least he talked to me.'

 

'My apologies, Death,' she said. 'It's just that sometimes knowing the future can be a burden.'

 

'Tell me about it. Knowing that I am faded to die alone is not easy.'

 

'Yet you continuously keep on saving the girl. Even though you think you don't stand a chance with her.'

 

'I hope I didn't interfere with her future.'

 

'You know I can't confirm that.'

 

'Indeed,' said Severus with a nod. 'But had I interfered, you'd be screaming bloody murder.'

 

Fate chuckled. 'You know me too well, Death.'

 

They smiled at each other amicably. Severus wondered why he could not fall in love with her, instead of the impossible matches he seemed so fond of pursuing. Fate certainly was charming and intelligent. Not to mention she was also a fellow Incarnation of Immortality, just like him. If love could be made with brains, this was the logical choice. But alas, logic had nothing to do with the heart.

 

‘At least now you can no longer be called a paedophile.’

 

Severus frowned. ‘Is this true?’

 

Fate nodded, ‘Hermione turned 17 at the end of last year. She will be 18 come fall.’

 

‘I didn’t realize that. Maybe that was why she was so… so…’ Severus struggled for a word, ‘so… grown-up.’

 

Fate let out a small laugh. ‘You should see how embarrassed you look, my friend. I dare say you are, indeed, living in the past century or more.’

 

Severus turned sarcastic. ‘At least now I can be unrequited within the law and morals. Such a relief.'

 

‘Oh, stop being so grouchy. You know you better focus on your job. Even if those youngsters succeed in what they are attempting, there will probably be a war, or at least a big battle.’

 

‘It’s not in the tapestry, is it?’

 

‘No, I know this because Mars came in earlier. He sounded really excited. You know he has a knack for knowing these things before they happen.’

 

Severus stood up and grabbed his long scythe, his favorite one. ‘Well, it seems there will be no shortage of work to us. Let’s get prepared, then.’


	9. A hello to arms

##  **Chapter 9 – A hello to arms**

 

Severus wasn’t much of a man to take notice of the weather, especially since he became one of the Incarnations of Immortality. But he long knew that magic had a way of influencing the climate. And that was precisely what was happening at Hogwarts.

 

His watch had gone haywire, the arrow pointed everywhere at once, and Mort managed to look uncharacteristically nervous even in his limousine form. Something huge was going on.

 

As it was, Severus found out it was the Battle of Hogwarts.

 

Death was so swamped with work that he could resist the temptation to look for Hermione. There was so much loss of life that his accoutrements no longer pointed just to the grey souls. They pointed to all nearby souls.

 

It was the thick of the fight, with Death Eaters attacking students and teachers indistinctively, all dignity lost. Being an Incarnation of Immortality, Death could recognize his peer Mars among the fighters, sometimes as a dark wizard, sometimes as a good one. Like Death, who takes good and evil souls alike, War rejoices in the fight, without pledging allegiance to any side or cause. The Great Warrior gloried in the battle, in the aesthetics of a bellicose cause, in the honor of combat. This was as immortal as Death itself.

 

Severus wondered if Marlene was also there, in her Atropos persona, cutting the threads of life. It was impossible for her not to know that the fate of many would end in that scenario. But he did not see her anywhere. That woman could keep a low profile.

 

Even though he was Death, Severus was no killer. It gave him no pleasure to see all those dead people. He felt no satisfaction to harvest the soul of Remus Lupin, former tormentor of his youth. As it had happened to Sirius Black.

 

He also harvested the very grey soul of Aurora Sinistra, killed by the Dark Lord himself on his obsession of eternal life. Severus knew the woman recognized Death when he appeared to her in her final moments, as her life flowed away, from the wounds inflicted by Nagini, the Dark Lord’s pet. They exchanged a glance as she knew her time had come. Aurora Sinistra greeted Death as an old friend.

 

His watch flashed again, the arrow pointed elsewhere, so Severus went to the next client. And the next. And there were so many dead...

 

Suddenly, a pause. A truce. The Dark Lord addressed a message to Harry Potter, for a final showdown between the two of them.

 

That was when his watch really went berserk. It was almost as if it didn't know if there was a client or not. That could mean only one thing: it was time. The time Dumbledore had warned him. The time to fulfill an old prophecy. Ironically, the one who revealed that prophecy had been Severus Snape.

 

As crazy as it seemed to be, the arrow guided Severus to the depths of the Forbidden Forest. He knew exactly who he was going to meet, and he was not disappointed. Harry Potter was at a clearing, interacting with people Severus could not see. They must be his dead relatives. Even though Severus was Death, he had no access to the other realm. He could not see the dead.

 

_Lily..._

 

Waves of fear rolled off the boy, so strong Severus doubted whether he would be able to do what he must. Harry’s dead family obviously gave him some sort of reassurance, because suddenly he nodded, squared his shoulders and dropped a small object on the ground, a gem of some sort.

 

The Resurrection Stone.

 

Harry Potter turned around and met straight on with Death in full garb. The young man stopped and stared at the personification of Death, especially the scythe. He did not recognize Severus because of Death's full regalia. After a few seconds, the youth asked, 'You came for me, didn't you?'

 

Death answered truthfully, 'Not necessarily.'

 

Harry nodded. Death said, 'You know what I mean.'

 

'I think I do,' was the answer. 'Will it hurt?'

 

'I doubt so.'

 

A true Gryffindor, the young man nodded. 'I am ready.'

 

'I will be by your side.'

 

Surprised, Harry looked at him, seeing only the bony skull beneath the hood. But Lily's green eyes stared at him with warmth as he said sincerely, 'Thanks, Death.'

 

And then Harry Potter walked off to meet Lord Voldemort. And be killed.

 

o0o 0o0 o0o 0o0

 

Severus kept his promise and stayed with Harry Potter until the boy's body was taken back to Hogwarts as Lord Voldemort's victim and spoils of war. He knew Harry somehow had survived the Killing Curse (for the second time, mind you) and was biding his time to defeat the Dark Lord. The Death Eaters were keen to gloat their victory over The Boy Who Lived. Except for a few of those.

 

Severus watched Lucius Malfoy very closely. He was almost surprised to realize his blond friend was not happy about the situation. Only at this time, at the last moment, Severus saw that his former colleague was not that much of a believer in Voldemort, but more of too much of a coward to oppose him. There surely were many more of the Dark Lord's followers with similar opinions, he could bet.

 

So, it was no surprise to Severus that, when Potter revealed himself as not quite dead as they thought, a lot of Death Eaters Disapparated in terror. Surely enough, Lucius grabbed Narcisa and Draco and got the hell out of Dodge, as they say. Death merely chuckled at the sight.

 

His smirk immediately fell off his face as he finally gazed at the features he was searching for amidst the crowd. Hermione.

 

Her face was dirty, her clothes seemed a bit torn, and she sported a huge dark patch on her brow - _please let it not be blood not blood please._ But she was alive, showing no major wounds. A wave of relief flooded Severus in places of his soul he didn't realize existed.

 

Her eyes were frantically following Harry Potter's moves, for the Dark Lord chased him. The Weasley boy took her hand. Hermione looked at him, worried, turning to him so abruptly that her hair fell over her eye. Then Weasley gently picked the strands of hair and tucked them behind her delicate ear. Hermione blushed demurely and smiled in a shy way at him.

 

Severus felt his undead heart shatter in thousands of pieces. Hermione and the Weasley boy had finally become an item. She was in love, that much was plain.

 

The fighting had been renewed and it was a good thing to take his mind off his romantic delusions. He did not harvest all souls. Bellatrix Lestrange’s soul was one he didn’t want to get near, for example. But there were others, so he dived into his work, collecting alike souls of good people, and evil people, and souls of people who were not so evil and not so good.

 

Because Death was on mission, and even War and Nature and Fate and Time came to Hogwarts to watch him. His deep pain had been felt by all Incarnations and the two higher supernatural entities: God and Satan.

 

Later on, it was said that the Battle of Hogwarts was a stellar job of the personification of Death. Thanatos had performed admirably in his darkest hour, and turned it into his finest hour.

 

Harry Potter was saved, the Golden Trio was saved, the world was saved. All was well.

 

As usual, the only one who complained about the peace was Mars. But he always knew he could count on the Muggles to wage illogical wars, so he was appeased soon enough.

 

Meanwhile, Death felt the pangs of unrequited love. He thought he might be used to that by now, but it was not true. Broken hearts seldom mend by themselves. They either harden to protect themselves or bleed continuously until the next love.

 

The “next love” part was rare, but not unprecedented. There was no telling each way Death’s heart would go.


	10. A tragic love story

#  **PART TWO - HERMIONE**

 

##  **Chapter 10 – A tragic love story**

 

Life was going great for Hermione Granger-Weasley, climbing the corporate ladder in the Ministry of Magic as a member of the Magical Law Division. Lord Voldemort had been gone for almost five years. The wizarding world was mostly at peace, but there were still some dealing with the aftermath of the Second Wizarding War. The brilliant witch was also happily married and mother of an eighteen-month old beautiful girl called Rose. Nothing could be more English or wizardly.

 

Her husband Ron had recently quit the public service, because 'an Auror had no business being a dad', as he said. So he decided to help his brother George in the joke shop. Business was blooming.

 

Hermione now was in-laws with the Weasleys, and that made her family also with her great friend Harry Potter, married to Ginny Weasley, Ron’s little sister. They were all one big family, all happy together.

 

In general, life was good for the Granger-Weasley family. Until it was not. And things turned sour quite unexpectedly, thought Hermione.

 

The accident in Diagon Alley was the starter. George was out, in a meeting with suppliers. Ron was alone in the shop when the explosion went off.

 

Some speculated that it could be a terrorist attack, led by remaining undetected Death Eaters. The Ministry of Magic was certain that the explosion was an accident provoked by faulty Muggle gas pipeline. Two wizards were killed, five were injured. Ron Weasley was fighting for his life at St. Mungo's.

 

Hermione stood by his side, devastated. Her inlaws were all by her side. Molly Weasley took in little Rose so Hermione could stay with Ron at St. Mungo's. But soon it became clear that mediwizards had little hope of his survival. He was alive only due to medical spells and magical life support. They told the family they would have to shut those off.

 

Hermione could not accept it. She argued the mediwizards, then her family, then her friends. Then, after controlling her emotions, Hermione did what she always did in a crisis: she went to the library.

 

Hogwarts Headmistress Minerva McGonagall allowed her to take residence in the school's library. She compared notes with Madame Pomfrey, the school nurse. The matron concurred with her St. Mungo's colleagues. Ron was beyond hope.

 

Desperation took the better part of Hermione and she delved into a very dark side of herself. Days were reserved to stay with Ron at St. Mungo's, and most nights were spent on the libraries: either at Hogwarts or at the Ministry. She got a special permit to also research on the Department of Mysteries.

 

In no time at all, as Ron's condition grew worse, Hermione's regard for abiding the law was flown out of the window.

 

'I think I know someone who can save Ron,' she said, her brown eyes gleaming.

 

Harry Potter asked, 'You found a doctor?'

 

'Better than that. A higher court.'

 

'A court? Hermione, I don't understand.'

 

The young woman was so agitated that she talked in extremely high speed. 'There are many accounts in the books, and there is a very high probability that these are true. He is the only one who can spare Ron!'

 

'Who is this man?'

 

'Not exactly a man. I am talking about Death itself.'

 

'WHAT?'

 

She didn't even bat an eyelash. 'There are plenty of registered encounters with Death. The Greeks called him Thanatos, but the Romans preferred the name Mortis. And you even told us that you might have met him in the Forbidden Forest. You talked to him!'

 

Harry said, 'It was very possible I was delirious at that time, for being deprived of proper food and sleep for so long...'

 

She shrieked, 'Do not do that to me! You said you saw him, tall, creepy, all skeleton and scythe!'

 

'It was a long time ago! I am not sure if it did indeed happen!' Harry frowned at her, but his voice was soft and loving. 'Mione, my friend, I suspect you have gone completely barmy.'

 

She was having none of it. 'Come on, Harry! Besides, we used to do stuff like that all the time when we were in Hogwarts, even worse! Why are you backing out now?'

 

'Because we are not Hogwarts students anymore,' he said. 'We were forced to grow up fast, and now we are grownups, with kids of our own. Now we are old enough to know that sometimes bad things happen to good people for no particular reason and there is nothing we can do about it.'

 

She couldn't give up, 'But there must be a way to fix this. I can fix this.'

 

Harry took a gentle tone of voice to recall, 'If Voldemort taught us anything, it was about how life is precious and fragile. We were lucky enough to have Ron all these years. Now perhaps we should honor his life by accepting his death.'

 

'No!' roared Hermione, fiercer than Harry had ever seen her. 'I am not ready to give up on him! I will do anything and go anywhere to save him!'

 

'Hermione, please, don't do this. This can only bring more pain.'

 

Somehow the logical girl had taken a leave, and this new, obsessed girl was willing to move heaven and earth to bring back her beloved husband from the jaws of death. She was willing to do whatever it takes, regardless of the costs.

 

Hermione went to a hag of terrible reputation, not bothering that the Ministry of Magic had fined the lady several times on charges of forbidden magic. The woman certainly merited her bad reputation, for there was no sign of legitimate validation to her information. She stared at Hermione, her unmatched eyes looking frankly demented.

 

'What you seek, pretty girl, is extremely difficult and dangerous. Are you brave enough?'

 

Asking that to a Gryffindor was nothing short of insulting. 'I am not afraid.'

 

The witch was unimpressed. 'Oh, but you will be. Are you willing to do what needs to be done to meet the Incarnation of Death?'

 

'Yes.'

 

'And are you willing to give up the little flower you love so much?'

 

'Little flower?'

 

'I mean that precious little rose bud of yours. You can't take her with you, for Death might be tempted to take her, as well.'

 

 _As_ _well?_

 

Hermione was already scared of the old woman, but when she mentioned the chances of Rose being harmed, her resolve failed. But just for a heartbeat.

 

'Yes.'

 

'Very well. I tell you, there is no guarantee. Thanatos is not a merciful entity.'

 

'What do you want me to do?'

 

'First you try an incantation to invoke him so that he comes to you. If that doesn't work, then we go to him.'

 

'You know where Death lives?'

 

'Death does not usually come to the mortals, unless on the job.'

 

Hermione understood perfectly well what that hideous hag meant. You don't see Death until you die.

 

Then the horrible hag began to explain the extremely complex proceedings of the incantation.

 

o0o 0o0 o0o 0o0

 

Severus stood invisible, quiet, observing as Hermione frantically took care of the complicated steps of the useless incantation. At first he had the impulse to stop her. He hoped Hermione still remembered his Severus persona from the time they fought Voldemort. But suddenly he held himself back.

 

And Severus watched as the ridiculously complicated incantation failed, and Hermione despaired. He tried to keep his calm as Hermione realized that she would have to die to meet Death. Her hopelessness broke his heart.

 

In an impulse, Severus took off to Spinner's End.

 

He didn't realize, though, that he was also being watched by someone who was both invisible and supernatural.

 

o0o 0o0 o0o 0o0

 

In the end, Hermione opted for the simple solutions. She kissed Ron at the hospital and left Rose with the Weasleys, announcing she would try a new resource to help him. Then she left.

 

A small lake, almost a pond, was what Hermione had prepared. In a boat hardly fit for one adult, she rowed to the middle of the lake and began to drown.

 

The plan was not foolproof, she soon realized. Drowning was not a spontaneous death. She had to summon all her will power not to swim back up to the surface. But she was not ready for defeat.

 

In no time, the need for oxygen was overwhelming. Hermione kept her focus on Ron to draw strength to all of this. She also remembered the witch's recommendations about the spiritual pull.

 

_Please please Death come now Ron needs you I need you please Death come to me please please please come sweet Death_

 

By now, she had swallowed a lot of water, and some had come inside her lungs. Things under the water became quite blurred but she could see the figure approaching. The historical accounts mentioned the coming of Death in the last breaths of the victim.

 

It was strange how Hermione could still see the  hooded man approaching, riding a pale horse, even under the water. He really looked unarmed to her. Well, at least until he dismounted the horse, drew out the long scythe and used it to open the layers of water as if he were cutting a wheat field.

 

When he came close to  Hermione, he extended a skeletal arm towards her. She took the hand, bony and cold. Abruptly, Death took her by the hand and, with an unexpected strength, helped her get up in the horse. Death also climbed on the animal and they took off.

 

It was literally a takeoff, since the horse went upwards in the direction of the clouds. Hermione was soaking wet and freezing because of the flight. The cause of her demise might even change from drowning to hypothermia.

 

Thanatos took her to a strange place, not that she expected anything else. But this thing reminded her of a gigantic spider web, one bigger than Hogwarts castle. Instinctively, she cringed as Death helped her get off the horse.

 

'Let's go.'

 

Hermione panicked for a split second, thinking that perhaps she was still alive enough so that he had taken her to a monstrous spider to be eaten. Flashes of "The Lord of the Rings" and the scene of Frodo and the giant Ungoliath spawn danced in her mind.

 

Death took her by the arm, and he was awfully gentle, she noticed. But when they magically stepped inside the web without being tangled, Hermione noticed this was really another realm of the universe.

 

As they walked, delicate sounds like chime bells echoed throughout the web. They stepped in a sort of padded soft rug and Death stopped. Hermione looked around. The web spread through seemingly miles of distance in every possible direction.

 

A single thread appeared in front of them, and down through it came a tiny spider, who stopped at their level. Death said, 'A situation has arrived.'

 

In a blink of an eye, the spider turned into a young, gorgeous woman who stared at Hermione. 'Oh.' She kept her eyes on Hermione. 'No wonder my threads are tangled. She is not supposed to be here.'

 

Death greeted, 'Hello, Clotho.'

 

Hermione tried to say, 'Please, I came to -'

 

She was interrupted as the woman shimmered briefly and in her place stood a middle-aged woman, still pleasant to the eye, but the youth fading form her skin and eyes. 'I am Lachesis, and I dare know why you are here.'

 

'Can you help me?'

 

Lachesis still stared at her, her mature features revealing none of her thoughts. Hermione turned to Death. His skeletal features were even worse to read.

 

'You are soaking wet.' The woman turned to Death. 'And I can see you are still a mortal.'

 

'Take care of her' was all Thanatos said.

 

'Thank you,' said Hermione to Death. 'I was -'

 

Thanatos interrupted her. 'We can talk later.'

 

Then he left.

 

Hermione watched him go. Somehow she knew better than to confront him. The woman took her arm. 'Come on, sweetie, let's take these wet clothes off.'

 

Hermione was given a bathrobe and slippers. The lady observed, 'A gorgeous young thing as yourself should not be thinking about suicide. Why did you do such a foolish thing?'

 

'For love,' was all she could answer.

 

'Ah,' smiled the lady. 'Love. It's a many splendored thing.'

 

Hermione just smiled, happy to feel a bit warm once more. The lady said, 'Thanatos will see you now. I'll bring some tea.'

 

With a quiet thank-you, Hermione went to the other room inside the gigantic spider web. Thanatos turned to her and chastised, 'You did a very dangerous and foolish thing, young lady.'

 

'Thank you for seeing me,' she said politely.

 

The skeleton with a pleasant voice said gravely, 'Your death was not scheduled. It tangled Fate's threads and made my schedule chaotic. The consequences could have been dire. Actually, they still can.'

 

Hermione chose to ignore the veiled threat. 'I had to see you. On behalf of my husband. Please save him.' Tears began to fall. 'He has - I mean, _we_ have a small daughter and a whole life ahead of us!'

 

Thanatos explained, 'My job is not to kill anyone. I just collect souls.'

 

'But if you don't collect his -'

 

'Then there is a chance his body will be an empty, dead shell, and his soul will be adrift, without a proper place to go. He would suffer even more. Would you like that?'

 

'No! Just save him. Please. Let him live!' She began to cry.

 

Thanatos turned his back on her. 'I am afraid I cannot grant you your wish.'

 

'Please don't take him from us...' She was sobbing.

 

'I am sorry, but there is nothing I can do about it.'

 

Hermione asked, distraught, 'If not Death, then who can?'

 

The woman came in with tea, answered, 'I fear there is nothing I can do either, my dear. I am Fate, and your husband's thread is already cut.' She offered, 'Milk?'

 

'Whom else can I talk?'

 

The lady looked at Thanatos, who shrugged. She announced, 'I will get Atropos.'

 

Death nodded and, to Hermione's surprise, the woman shimmered again and in her place an old lady appeared, well into her sixties. Very down to earth, she looked disapprovingly at Hermione and scolded, 'Shame on you, young lady! What you have done was not only utterly useless and foolish, it is unworthy of someone with your intellect!'

 

Hermione felt her face flush. Yet she justified her actions, 'I just can't let my husband die! I love him!'

 

The old lady cast her a kind look. 'I understand your pain. For I am Atropos, one of Fate's three aspects. My sisters take care of the other sides of destiny. Clotho spins the thread of life and Lachesis weave the web, settling the threads in the tapestry. Look.'

 

She pointed upwards and Hermione saw the most amazing tapestry ever, still mounted in a loom above their heads. In the right side, the patterns were solid and the wondrous design was set with the brilliant threads. On the left side, the threads were loose, still waiting to be woven. In between the two parts, a shimmering energy of brilliant colors and magic that enchanted Hermione. She gaped at the sight.

 

'Beautiful is such an inadequate word, isn't it?' asked Atropos, bringing her back to reality. Or at least, _that_ reality.

 

'And what do you do in the tapestry?'

 

'I cut the thread, of course. One sister spins, the other weaves and I cut the threads of life. The three aspects of Fate work together to weave a web of tangled skein.'

 

'So you are the one who actually kills people? You are the _real_ killer.'

 

The granny-looking old lady nodded. 'You could say that, yes. But that is not entirely true. Besides, it is not my decision.'

 

Those incarnations were proving themselves slicker than a street thug, sighed Hermione. How was she supposed to save Ron?

 

'Well, then who could help me?' she asked aloud.

 

Thanatos suggested, 'What about Chronos? Would he give an extension?'

 

'Who is this Chronos?'

 

'The Incarnation of Time.'

 

Hermione repeated, 'Time? Could he turn back the clock and prevent the accident?'

 

Atropos shimmered back into Lachesis and said, 'Of course he could. But he would never.'

 

A new man came in, bearing an hourglass. 'You rang, my dear?'

tbc


	11. The pleas, the truth, the invite

##  **Chapter 11 – The pleas, the truth, the invite**

 

Hermione jumped back. The man appeared right by her side, unexpectedly, hourglass in hand, smiling at Fate.

 

'Chronos,' greeted Fate with a smile. 'Perfect timing, of course! It seems we have a bit of a situation here.'

 

Hermione jumped in, 'Yes, please, sir!'

 

Chronos looked at her, 'Oh, it's you. Of course. Though I didn’t expect you _now_. There must be something I missed…’

 

The Gryffindor girl was surprised. 'You know me? How?'

 

Thanatos explained, 'Chronos travels backwards in time. He lives in our future.'

 

'But I can spot a time-meddling mortal eons away,' said the personification of Time disapprovingly. 'You were barely 13 and you were already creating parallel timelines. What a mess you made!'

 

She actually blushed. 'I didn't know. Sorry about that.'

 

‘And now you want to do it _again?’_  Time was a little more than miffed. It was bearing the outrageous. ‘I’m not complaining about my personal cost, with loss of love and all that, but you have no idea of the ramifications!’

 

There were tears in Hermione’s eyes. ‘But I love him…’

 

Chronos seemed unmoved. ‘Well, too bad. Thanatos here had a love like that for decades, did you know? And did he try to attempt anything like you? No, because he knows his beloved would be better in the afterlife than in a half-life!’

 

Thanatos would be pink, if he could blush, but said nothing. Fate reproached, ‘Chronos, what are you doing?’

 

The Incarnation of Time turned to Fate, ‘Oh, I know that you don’t know the future as well as I do, but I am about to give this young lady a piece of my mind!’

 

Time was having a legitimate fit.

 

‘Stop it right now!’ When nervous, Fate’s accent came out very Scottish, Hermione noticed. Fate talked warmly to Hermione, ‘I apologize for him. He is usually a very sweet, kind and peaceful man, not this… this… ogre!’

 

Time sighed, half in scorn, half in distress. It took a few seconds until he said, ‘I am sorry for my outburst, young lady. Still, there is nothing I can do about your husband’s death. You need to trust us when we say that everything happens for a reason.’

 

Thanatos said, 'Since it is clear that this girl's attempts failed, what should we do?'

 

'We send her back, of course,' said Fate. 'She is not dead, so she belongs to the mortal world.'

 

Hermione asked, 'Where are we, by the way? What is this place?'

 

'It is my place,' said Fate. 'In the space in-between worlds.'

 

'I am out of the world?' Hermione was awed by the notion. ‘I knew could go really far to save Ron, but not that far.’

 

'But your husband cannot be saved,' insisted Chronos. 'It is all there is, I am afraid.'

 

'Are you sure?'

 

Thanatos said, 'Absolutely. And you must never try this again. Ever. Or your daughter will be an orphan of both parents.'

 

'OK, I understand. Thank you for your patience.'

 

Chronos said, 'All right, then. If we are all settled, then Thanatos will take you back.' Death seemed a bit miffed about it, but Chronos shrugged. 'You are the one with the cool ride, mate. My means of transportation is too weird for mortal people.’

 

Even more vexed, Thanatos gestured Hermione, 'Let's go.'

 

'All right. Bye. Thanks for everything and sorry about the confusion.'

 

She followed Death to the pale horse and rode with him back to the world of the living again.

 

o0o 0o0 o0o 0o0

 

Fate and Chronos watched as the pair went away. Chronos asked, 'Will her memories be wiped out?'

 

'No, she would only try the same thing again. Besides, one of the big guys asked for her memories to be kept.'

 

'Why? Are those two playing favourites now?'

 

'God would never do that and you know it. But Satan... He is always in campaign, you know. If she tries suicide again, knowing fully well what is at stake, and succeeds, then he might have a shot at her soul, because this time it would be for pure grief, not for higher purposes.'

 

Chronos heard Fate swear quietly. 'That bastard.'

 

Chronos didn’t know it, but Fate had her mind set to dive into her beloved tapestry and actually do something about that. But that would be interfering in a mortal’s life, and doing so was a major no-no amongst the Incarnations. It would be quite hypocritical of her to do so after all the grief she gave poor Thanatos.

 

The personification of Time turned to his peer and drew her closer. ‘Let’s not talk about him right now. I believe we were about to become lovers, if I am not mistaken.’

 

Fate smiled as she delved into his arms, purring, ‘And does this happen right now?’

 

Seductively, he caressed her lustrous hair as Clotho. ‘You could say it is fate, don’t you think?’

 

‘I’d rather say it might happen… in time.’

 

They kissed.

 

 

o0o 0o0 o0o 0o0

 

 

After Hermione's sudden visit in the Incarnations of Immortality's abode, Severus followed her actions closely. So, he was by her side when the doctors pulled the plug on poor Ron Weasley. He observed her during the subsequent grieving period, when Hermione was so devastated she had difficulty even to tend to her daughter.

 

Severus hadn't been much by Hermione after the Battle of Hogwarts. Death had had no wish to bear witness to the domestic bliss of the couple, soon crowned by the arrival of baby Rose. Now Severus could appreciate how the young mother had thrived in the short period of five years.

 

Weeks after the funeral, as he still stalked the widow, Severus decided it was time for him to come clean. Hermione should know that her husband's death was not the will of a whimsical supernatural entity who woke up with the wrong foot someday.

 

As usual, he didn't consult Fate before doing that. He didn’t want to take another reprimand.

 

She opened the door when he knocked, and she was even more beautiful looking straight at him with a large smile.

 

‘Severus...!’

 

She embraced him warmly, and he tried very hard to contain himself.

 

‘This is such a surprise,’ she disentangled herself from him. ‘Please, come on in.’

 

‘I hope this is not a bad time.’

 

‘Of course not. This is such a wonderful surprise!’ She made him sit in a small, comfortable living room. ‘You look amazing. How are you?’

 

‘I am fine.’

 

Her smile fell. ‘I suppose you heard about Ron.’

 

‘I am so sorry about him, Hermione. He was a good man.’

 

She sniffed, a tear escaping her eye as she nodded. ‘One of the very best. And look,’ she introduced. ‘This is Rose.’

 

Severus was not good with babies, but he managed a smile at the small person sitting on a floor mat who looked at him intensely. ‘Hello, Rose.’

 

‘May I offer you something? Perhaps some tea.’

 

‘I believe tea would be a good choice, Hermione.’

 

‘Let me just put the kettle on.’

 

She disappeared into the kitchen and Severus was alone with the toddler, who was still deciding if he was a friend or foe. He admired the little one for not trusting total strangers.

 

‘How did you know where to find me? We hardly know anything about you!’

 

‘I have means… you know.’

 

‘Yes, yes, the superspy. You know there are people in the Order who still have no idea about you? You did a remarkable job, Severus. Not to mention saving my life. I appreciate that.’

 

‘It was really a pleasure.’

 

‘Is it okay if I ask you something? I have so many questions about those days.’

 

‘Now I am in a position to allow you some answers.’

 

‘Really? Great!’ she was excited. ‘No, wait. Let me get the tea first.’

 

So it was over some hot tea that Hermione asked her first question. ‘So what is your name? I mean, your real name?’

 

‘Severus Snape,’ he answered. ‘I assure you that is my real name.’

 

She didn’t show fear, only confusion. ‘Then, are you dead?’

 

‘Not really.’

 

‘Does that have to do with not being a wizard? Care to explain?’

 

‘Severus Snape did indeed die at Halloween, 1981. But he is also here. He is me. I live in the fringe of this world, having become a supernatural entity that lives in the outskirts of the mortal realm.’

 

Now Hermione was showing signs of alarm. ‘You are not a magical creature. Nor a wizard.’

 

‘I always said that. I lost my wizarding powers when I became a supernatural being. I don’t have magical powers as wizards do. But I am hardly a Muggle.’

 

‘What are you, exactly? Did you come here to harm me?’

 

‘Of course I mean you no harm, Hermione. I just felt you had a right to know. I am an Incarnation of Immortality.’

 

Her face turned white. ‘You- no…!’

 

‘I am afraid so, yes.’

 

‘Which one? Are you Time?’

 

‘No. I am Death.’

 

She stood up, enraged. ‘NO! No, no!’

 

‘I am afraid it is true,’ he said calmly, but full of sadness.

 

Hermione looked around, tears falling, as if she could find answers in her own living room. ‘You… you…’

 

Severus stood quite still, while she withstood the shockwave the information caused. He knew he should be very patient at this time.

 

In a few minutes, Hermione could gather enough strength to ask, 'Couldn't you do anything?'

 

'I did what I could,' he said earnestly. 'I hope you believe me. I told Dumbledore there was not much I could do, but I would do my best to help Harry. And that meant helping the three of you.'

 

Hermione stared at him. 'Harry told me he had seen you. In the forest. Before facing Voldemort.'

 

'I made sure to be with him. For his mum.'

 

'Is she all right? Is she proud of her son?'

 

'I am sure Lily is. But I have no contact with her. I live in the fringe of this world, and she lives in the other world.'

 

'So you can't see her?'

 

'No, I can't.'

 

'And....' her voice cracked a bit, 'can you see Ron...?'

 

'I am sorry, but I can't either.'

 

Her tears fell freely down her cheeks as she asked, 'Can you tell me anything about him? About how he is now?'

 

Severus was heartbroken, but answered her truthfully, 'My office presides all deaths in the planet. Yet I am not required to personally collect each soul upon its demise. I am typically called to reap the grey souls, the ones with both evil and good in equal measure. The fact that I was not required to oversee Ron's passing tells me he went straight up.'

 

She risked asking for confirmation, 'When you say up, do you mean...'

 

'Heaven, yes' he said. 'He was a good man.'

 

Hermione nodded, wiping the tears. 'Thank you, Severus. I mean, Thanatos.'

 

'Call me Severus, please.'

 

'Severus, then. So, Severus, would you be mad at me if I ask you to leave now? I need to be alone.'

 

'Of course.' He stood up. 'Thank you for the tea. And one word of professional advice: don't try to follow Ron. You would not arrive to the same place he lives.'

 

And he put on his cloak, thereof acquiring the skeleton appearance, before disappearing into thin air. He went to Mort with the firm disposition of leaving her alone for a long, long time.

 

Too bad Severus was the only one to think that.

 

o0o 0o0 o0o 0o0

 

More than two months had passed after Severus's visit. Hermione talked in confidence to Harry about that visit.

 

'Do you think he was telling the truth?'

 

'Why would he lie about it?'

 

'There are some pretty weird people out there, Hermione. You know that.'

 

'You have to admit it makes sense, though.'

 

'I guess. But think about it: if this is the same guy who was friends with my mum, then Death is not a eternal entity. How does one become Death, the Grim Reaper?'

 

Hermione said, 'I am not sure. I am pretty sure it involves ceasing to live, I am afraid.'

 

Harry shrugged. 'Are you all right?'

 

It was her time to shrug. 'I guess. But I think I need some change in my life. Sort things out.'

 

'Why don't you take some time off? Go on a holiday of sorts.'

 

'What about Rose? I can't just leave her.'

 

'If you don't want Molly to take her, leave her with us. Ginny and I would love to spend time with our lovely goddaughter.'

 

'I will think about it,' said Hermione politely, knowing full well that this was remotely likely to happen.

 

Until she received an owl. It was a proper, conventional witching mail. The contents, though, were anything but conventional.

 

It was a voucher to a weekend getaway in Muggle Ireland, all expenses paid. The letter said it was a "once in a lifetime opportunity', and she should do it in total secrecy. She would travel by train, under the name of Monica Wendel.

 

That was enough to make her believe that it was not a hoax. Wendel was the name she used to protect her parents during the Second Wizarding War, when they were sent to Australia.

 

Hermione decided to leave Rose with her grandmother Molly and followed the instructions contained in the letter. She took the train, then the boat and then a bus to the resort called Druids' Refuge, south of Dublin, near the ocean. It was really lovely, with such greenery that relaxed Hermione. Even if all this mystery letter turned out to be a hoax, she was glad she had embarked in such an adventure. The place was gorgeous.

 

When she returned from a walk in the many green paths around the resort's grounds, there was a message for her at the front desk. "Come to dinner on the Stone Circle Room. The reservation is on the name of Marlene."

 

"Marlene is such a funny name to mix in all this cloak and dagger stuff," thought Hermione.

 

The maître escorted Hermione to her table, where Marlene was already waiting. And Hermione was surprised to recognize the mysterious lady.

 

She had met her before, when she used the name of Fate.

 

'Hello, dear.' She smiled. 'I am so glad you decided to come. Please sit down.'

 

Hermione sat down and confessed, 'This is a surprise.'

 

'Oh, good. I didn't want to be too obvious.' Marlene picked up the menu. 'Would you like to order from the menu or do you want to try the self-service?'

 

'Let's take a look at the menu.'

 

Both ordered fish and Marlene McKinnon chose a rosé wine. 'I don't believe that much in matching food and wine. But trust me on this: this is a wonderful wine.'

 

It was indeed. They had their meal amidst small talk, and that positively was getting in Hermione's nerves. Perhaps spurred by the amount of the deceitfully sweet wine, she asked the other woman, 'So what do I owe the honor of having dinner with one of the Incarnations of Immortality?'

 

'You can call me Marlene McKinnon. It's been a while since I used this name.'

 

The name was familiar with Hermione, though she could not place exactly how she knew that name. But she let it slip aside.

 

'So, Marlene,' emphasized Hermione, 'Why did you want to see me?'

 

'I have been following your thread for a long time, my dear, and I believe you would be willing to listen to an offer I have for you.'

 

'An offer,' repeated the young lady, with restrained curiosity.

 

'I know you don't beat around the bush, so I will just say it: would you like to be an Incarnation of Immortality yourself?'

 

Hermione froze in her chair. Was that what she thought it was?

 

Marlene chuckled, 'Well, maybe a bit of beating around the bush would have been in order after all.'

 

'Yes,' was all Hermione could answer. 'Would I be you? I mean...'

 

'Yes, of course. And no.' Marlene shrugged. 'Yes, you would be Fate. No, you don't get to be Marlene McKinnon. She is dead, and cannot return to life.'

 

'Dead? Like Severus?'

 

That surprised the lady. 'Oh. I didn't know Severus had revealed himself to you.'

 

'He told me a few things.'

 

'Ah.' Marlene took a slow sip of her wine and then put down the long-stemmed glass. ‘Curious.’

 

‘What is curious?’

 

‘You made the right questions about yourself, but you didn’t ask about me.’

 

‘About you?’

 

‘Yes. About my becoming Hermione Granger-Weasley.’


	12. Hermione contemplates Fate

##  **Chapter 12 – Hermione contemplates Fate**

 

 

It was not an exaggeration to say Hermione almost choked on her wine. She reached for the glass of water before asking, 'What did you say?'

 

Marlene shrugged, 'Oh, aye, it is true. Although you don't get to be me, I get to be you. I will become Hermione, totally and completely. The thread of your life is not to be cut off so soon.'

 

The young woman felt a pang in her heart. 'Will I cease to be me?'

 

'Not as much as you think. Your memories will be intact. It is I who will lose all mine, for Marlene McKinnon died more than 20 years ago. She will live only in the memories of those who knew her.'

 

'I am sorry,' said Hermione.

 

'I am not. Actually I feel quite excited to get to live a full life.'

 

'And I must die,' said Hermione dejectedly. 'That is how you become an Incarnation of Immortality, isn't it?'

 

'Not necessarily,' answered Marlene. 'Poor Thanatos has no choice, of course. You have to die to become Death. But most of us simply step into the office.'

 

'You sound as if we have a choice.'

 

'Oh, dear, of course we have a choice. You can walk away if you don't want the office. But I am positive that not only you are the perfect person for the job but also it will be very good for you.'

 

'And you will be... me?'

 

'Completely. That is why you should be very certain that this is what you want, because there is no turning back.'

 

'And if I refuse?'

 

'No harm done. You get your life back, I shall see the other candidates.'

 

'Other candidates?'

 

'Well... There may not be as many as you think, but I have other options, though none as perfect as you.'

 

'But I have no idea how to use a loom!'

 

'That is the easiest part of it all. Because we are three, and one aspect helps the other two. We are never truly alone.'

 

That struck a chord with Hermione. Since Ron fell ill, Hermione felt utterly alone in the world, despite the multitude of Weasleys, Potters and Grangers. She missed company.

 

'Well,' said Marlene, gesturing to the other table, 'there is a gentleman over there looking pretty interested in our table. I for one am all for responding to his advances. Are you game?'

 

Suddenly Hermione felt as the world made a weird turn. Was Marlene suggesting what she thought? She was making a pass at the man. What a huss!

 

She had wit enough to think fast. 'No, thanks. Recently widowed, you know.'

 

'Quite right.' Marlene picked up her coat and rose up. 'Think about my offer. I'll be in touch. Don't wait for me; I'll leave a note. Enjoy your wine.'

 

She quickly sashayed to the other table, and Hermione had a hard time trying not to stare. Fate was a flirty girl! It probably was her night off, though. The gentleman in question welcomed Marlene and threw an inviting look to Hermione. She raised her glass to politely refuse the offer and let them be. She quickly went to her room, to consider the offer. The one about becoming Fate, not the one with the gentleman.

 

Hopefully, if she agreed to be Fate, it would be a while before she started flirting with strangers in country hotel resorts.

 

Hermione could not deny she was intrigued. It was clear that the Incarnations of Immortality did not have much of autonomy, so to speak. But still, to _be_ Fate was a huge matter.

 

Even though Fate (or Marlene) didn't say, Hermione could pick up the fact that she would have to completely leave behind her present life. It was as if her entire identity would be changed.

 

Actually, it was exactly that. She thought of those amateur writers in the internet whose plots would involve a character seriously being sent to the past, or perhaps to a fantasy world such as Narnia or Middle Earth. That was Hermione: now in the afterlife version.

 

Strangely enough, Hermione was attracted to the change of life, to not having to be the brave widow of a war hero, herself being a hero. Having to abandon her child hurt. But as much as she loved Rose, she was a source of pain, for all the growing up her father would miss. And she would still have her mother, or a version of her mother. With a little bit of luck, this Hermione would be less devastated about the loss of Ron.

 

She could not help but think of Severus. She knew only of his dead version, for she was a baby when he took the office of Death. But Hermione knew about his love for Harry's mother, a love that compelled him to protect her son even after his death. Her love for Ron would not grant her access to him in his eternal resting place, so she might as well get used to the idea of not looking up for her dead husband.

 

No, that was not her motivation to accept the job. Hermione needed a new project, a new purpose in life. Raising Rose was a mighty fine one, but she needed something broader, some project that could be literally larger than life. There could hardly be anything larger than managing the fate of the planet and its inhabitants.

 

Also, there was a promise of the end of all loneliness. Although philosophers maintained that in the end all humans are alone, Hermione craved companionship and intimacy. Not that of a lover, nice as it was, but of a friend or maybe a confidant.

 

Not only would she have the other aspects of Fate as companions, but also the other Incarnations. Death was of course a friend. From what she could gather during her untimely visit, Time seemed very understanding. War was a bit on the unstable side, so that was a risky friendship. She didn't meet Nature, but she was a mother, and so they could relate. And then there were the other two.

 

God and Satan. Good and evil. Hermione wondered how would be a friendship with _them_.

 

Was she seriously considering the offer?

 

In case she accepted to be the personification of Fate, Hermione hoped there would be some sort of training involved, for she had no idea about weaving on a loom. Certainly that was not a priority at the start of the 21st century.

 

Still, there was a lot of doubt in her mind. Could she leave behind all that she was? Could she abandon Hermione Granger-Weasley and be Fate forever?

 

o0o 0o0 o0o 0o0

 

Next morning, Hermione was still in her hotel room, getting ready for breakfast, when she noticed a tiny spider descend from a thread right in front of her. Intrigued, she stared at the animal. With a shimmer, the insect turned into Lachesis, the middle-aged aspect of Fate.

 

It was by sheer dumb luck that Hermione didn't scream.

 

'Hello,' greeted Fate. 'Good, you are not jumpy.'

 

'Good morning. I am perfectly scared, thanks for asking. Will you be joining me for breakfast?'

 

'I appreciate the offer, but we need more privacy. When should you be back home?'

 

'Tomorrow afternoon I leave the hotel.'

 

'Not to pressure you or anything, but do you reckon you will have an answer by then?'

 

'Do I have to have the answer by then?'

 

The lady shrugged, 'It would facilitate things immensely.'

 

'Yes.'

 

'Well, then we can talk after breakfast,' she said hurriedly. 'Meet me by the walking path near the willow grove.'

 

And she left before Hermione had a chance to tell her the offer had already been accepted.

 

And that trick of turning into a web-spinning spider was really nifty, wasn't it?

 

o0o 0o0 o0o 0o0

 

Hermione really felt a bit anticlimactic when the only reaction her answer elicited was a question.

 

'Are you really sure about this, dear? I don't want to have you thinking you were tricked or anything.'

 

The two young women were alone, sitting on a bench beneath a huge tree by the side of one of the many gorgeous green paths throughout the resort. There were many options of interaction with the natural beauty of the place and walking was one of the favorite. They also offered horse riding and the all-time favorite of the American guests, golf.

 

Hermione was adamant. 'I thought a lot about it. I want to do this.'

 

But Clotho didn't look convinced. 'Tell you what: let me talk about the bad things of the job, so you can board this ship with both eyes open.'

 

'Sounds fair.'

 

'I love the girls, but the truth is that you will completely lose your privacy. In time, you will be able to realize which thought is yours or Lachesis's or Atropos's. But it can be tricky at first.'

 

'Will they rule my life?'

 

'Actually, you become a three-person person. They share the same body. So, the life is theirs, too, as much as it is yours. I am quitting the office. Five years ago, former Atropos chose to become mortal and die amongst her grandchildren. It was a bold choice, but Lachesis and I respected it. This Atropos is your fan, by the way.'

 

Hermione smiled, surprised. 'I have a fan?'

 

'She still maintains you did a stupid thing, almost dying to save your husband's life. But she could not help but admire you for exactly the same attitude.'

 

Hermione smiled. Clotho did not.

 

'There is also the no small matter of use of your body.'

 

'The what?'

 

'Well, you see, there is an arrangement with the Incarnations. I have this relationship with Chronos due to his special circumstances-'

 

Hermione suddenly was deaf to her arguments. She had never considered having physical relations with anyone but Ron. And she was not keen to start it at that moment.

 

'Wait,' she pleaded. 'Is that required?'

 

Clotho cringed. 'Not really. But you see, there is no one else to do that. Chronos can't have a relationship with mortal women because of the way he moves in time.'

 

'But he _is_ Time!'

 

'And as such, he moves backwards in our timelines. It is too much confusion because he can't remember even having met the ladies. He can only manipulate the linear advance of time for short periods. It would clog the Hourglass. He can't keep up with the people who move forward in time, for he moves backwards.'

 

'But Fate does.'

 

'Fate can be more accommodating. It is rough at the very first day, because it will be his last, and even worse at the very last day, because he will be so young and vulnerable, poor guy.'

 

'What if I refuse?'

 

'You know how men are, dear. Incarnations they may be, and immortals, too, but they are still human. As such, they require such liaisons. If you refuse, he will seek out these liaisons elsewhere. The matter might take a toll on him, for demanding lovers can remove anybody's peace of mind. And then Time could go wrong. This would mess up the whole system.'

 

'So the whole system can be compromised because Chronos can't keep it in his pants?'

 

'I believe much of the world's history can be explained exactly this way. But now is not the time to wax philosophy.'

 

'Isn't there a way to compromise? Maybe suggest another arrangement?'

 

'There are other complications. The only female Incarnations are Fate and Nature, at least the major ones. And Nature is too focused on her children. Also, it is fairly safe to say she hates men. I mean, she hates them as a concept and as a group, not individually.'

 

'At the moment, I tend to agree,' said Hermione acidly.

 

'I say it is not as bad as it sounds. Besides, it is for the greater good.' Hermione made it plain clear that greater good was no consolation. 'Think of someone you love.'

 

'I loved my husband.'

 

'Don't you have a lover?'

 

'Of course not!'

 

'Do not think me low or less. I have no right to judge you if you do. You need to have more leeway in your morals to be an Incarnation. Last night was the first opportunity to feel a mortal men in a long, long time. I hope I did not shock you. A lass gotta do what a lass gotta do.'

 

Her Scottish accent thickened at the last sentence, and she smirked impudently. Hermione could not help but laugh.

 

'Can you keep a secret?'

 

'Of course. My memories will be wiped out, so you can tell me your darkest secrets.'

 

'When I was younger, I used to have a crush on... Severus.'

 

Marlene McKinnon was awed by the revelation. 'Thanatos? You kid me not?'

 

'No,' said Hermione, looking positively evil. 'I was young, and I thought he was a super spy for Dumbledore. It was so romantic and heroic!'

 

'Did you ever tell him?'

 

'Oh, goodness, no. I was so embarrassed. But he looked older and so tall, dark and mysterious.'

 

'Do you still feel this way?'

 

'No! Not after Ron, I mean. But... When I saw him... I don't know, I thought he was really good looking for a skeleton and all that. Does this sound too crazy?'

 

The present lncarnation of Fate stared at Hermione a few minutes before saying, 'Let me tell you something. Thanatos is a man of deep feelings. If you tell him that, I believe he will not be totally averse to your advances. But if you befriend him just for one brief dalliance, you will break that man's heart.'

 

Hermione lost the air of gaiety. 'You sound so serious.'

 

'Severus is a serious man. But I believe you would not find a better lover in the whole wide world and beyond.'

 

It was Hermione's turn to stare at her. She had the distinctive impression that Fate knew more than she told. But that was not the real subject. She needed to focus.

 

'Do you believe I could negotiate with Chronos?'

 

'Would pleasing him be so repulsive to you? Do you believe you could get used to it or that it would be too much?'

 

'Is this a deal breaker?'

 

'As I said, it might upset the system in which we live in, possibly with implications in mortal lives. The offices have direct impact on the mortal world. Upsetting the system might be disastrous.'

 

'I think I understand, but I am sure it is a pale understanding.'

 

'Quite right.'

 

'Suppose I accept the office but find the situation with Chronos unbearable. Can I give up?'

 

'Yes, there is a period of grace. Of course you will have your memories wiped out and be given a new life, far away from the old one. And it would be a last-minute arrangement, so there would be a lot of improvisation. Not the ideal situation.'

 

'Understood.'

 

'So do you think you could be able to handle the office?'

 

'If it weren't for the Chronos thing, I'd be already in.'

 

Marlene looked at her. 'I am not judging you. But you probably have had a pretty sheltered life until now. Voldemort notwithstanding and all.'

 

'I know the dangers of being young and pretty.'

 

'I would say you know _of_ them. Men have certain beliefs about young women, especially if they are beautiful. And you certainly are. But you have been protected by good parents, nice friends, amazing husband and great in-laws. You probably never experienced social hardships of womanhood.'

 

Hermione had to be honest. She knew about oppression of women, but had never been directly subjected to it. Maybe it was a small price to pay. She could even get used to it.

 

Too bad it wasn't Severus. _That_ she could get used.

 

Suddenly, she turned to Marlene and said, 'You told me if I refuse, my memories will be wiped out.'

 

'That is true.'

 

'So, I will pose you a question and all I ask is total honesty.'

 

'I have been honest so far.'

 

'So tell me sincerely: what are you not telling me?'

 

Marlene McKinnon shot a sharp look at Hermione, eyes wide. Then she smirked, 'Girl, you are good. I'd hate to see you give up the office because of the thing with Chronos.'

 

'So there is something afoot.' Hermione was surprised. She had not been sure there was any dirty secrets, and Marlene's confirmation was astonishing. She was still staring Hermione, more serious than ever.

 

'Yes. But I was not supposed to tell you. So please don't think that this information was hidden from you so you wouldn't accept the offer. It was kept from you so you wouldn't accept it for the wrong reasons. Do you understand?'

 

'Yes.'

 

'OK, then.' She sighed. 'Here it goes.'

 

As if she knew a bomb was about to be dropped, Hermione braced herself. She was ill-prepared for the next words, though.

 

'Satan might have had your husband murdered.'


	13. Game changer

##  **Chapter 13 – Game changer**

 

Hermione was totally speechless. It all seemed unreal. Well, it seemed even more unreal than before, as she contemplated becoming the Incarnation of Fate. She looked around, trying to get a grip in reality.

 

Ron might have been murdered.

 

The sense of reality was getting farther and farther away from Hermione. The beautiful willow tree both women were under looked incredibly out of place in contrast to the grave words the young widow just had heard.

 

Ron had been murdered. _Her_ Ron was killed. By Satan.

 

'Is it true?'

 

Marlene shrugged, but there was definitely concern in her voice. 'That was the suspicion in Purgatory. Satan has a lot of agents there.'

 

'But why kill my husband? Ron never harmed a fly in his whole life.'

 

'Satan certainly was after a soul to damn to Hell. That's what we figured, at least.'

 

'We? Who is we?'

 

'The other Incarnations. We consult each other quite often. But no one knew for sure.'

 

Hermione still had a hard time with the whole story. 'But if Ron was killed, he would not go to hell, would he? So what would Satan gain by killing him?'

 

'Oh, dear,' said Marlene McKinnon. 'It was not his soul he was after. It was yours, we reckoned.'

 

'Mine?'

 

'Had you committed suicide, your soul would be tainted by a capital sin. It is a sure one-way ticket down, sweetie.'

 

Something about the wonderful breakfast of the resort churned in Hermione's stomach and she suddenly dashed out of the bench. She got to her knees and hurled a bit, out of sheer disgust. Marlene helped her a bit, but Hermione soon recovered from the bout of sickness.

 

Her first question was, 'How do we do this?'

 

o0o 0o0 o0o 0o0

 

In the end, becoming the Incarnation of Fate was awfully simple. All it took was a holding of hands.

 

But things started to complicate from there on. Hermione immediately felt the other two aspects of Fate inside her head.

 

Welcome, new sister, said one. Hermione could not say which was which.

 

Marlene McKinnon stared at her. 'It is odd. I don't feel my sisters anymore.'

 

Suddenly Hermione felt her body change, and it was as if she was shoved behind her own body. Atropos had taken over.

 

Sorry about her, apologized Lachesis. Atropos has always been a bit hasty in her ways.

 

Atropos embraced Marlene with love and respect. 'Good luck to you in your new life.'

 

Marlene was overwhelmed with emotion. She hugged the older woman fiercely, tears already streaming from her eyes.

 

'I know I will not remember you, but believe me: I miss you already.'

 

They cried in each other arms for a while, and then it was Lachesis's turn to say goodbye to her sister.

 

Hermione, now as the young incarnation of Fate called Clotho, took over the body and asked, 'Please take good care of dear Rose.'

 

'I will. Don't worry,' she smiled. 'And I am sure you will be a wonderful Fate.'

 

Hermione felt tears forming in her eyes, for this was final. She was not Hermione Granger anymore, and she would never be again. It was an odd feeling.

 

She hugged Marlene McKinnon, and when she looked at the other woman she felt a real jolt. For it was like staring at a mirror: Marlene now had the physical appearance of Hermione Weasley née Granger.

 

'Now,' said Marlene, wiping the tears, 'it's time for that handy accident to wipe out my memories.'

 

'What?'

 

'Don't fret, dear. Lachesis got it all covered.'

 

Hermione felt that shove again as she was pushed back inside her own body. The middle-aged aspect of Fate took over her body and said, 'Leave everything to me, sisters.'

 

She is so crafty, commented Atropos, with sincere admiration.

 

Hermione was still getting used to the whole change of body thing. Ever being the know-it-all, she observed as Marlene and Lachesis arranged a totally freak accident involving a timely fall of a sturdy oak branch which managed to land precisely in Marlene's head. She was knocked out immediately, and Hermione was alarmed.

 

This is a deserted road. It may take hours until someone finds her.

 

Atropos tried to calm her down. Have some faith in Fate.

 

In less than thirty seconds, two men riding beautiful horses from the compound appeared by that road. Lachesis had already turned into the small spider, and went up the huge oak tree.

 

The men quickly spotted the unconscious woman.

 

'Look! What is that?'

 

'Oh, good heavens! The poor girl!'

 

They dismounted and one of them checked her pulse. 'She is alive!'

 

'Better bring her to the hotel. They have a nurse there.'

 

The riders took the young lady with them, and through the arachnid eyes Hermione saw herself for the last time, in a silent farewell.

 

'Time to take the new sister home,' said Lachesis in her spider form, using the travel threads with proficiency.

 

I need to learn that, thought Hermione.

 

To her surprise, Lachesis answered, It's much easier than it looks.

 

Shared thoughts would be a thing to get used, Hermione realized. Nothing to worry.

 

The small spider went upwards and upwards and then to different directions, ones that Hermione could not remember if she tried. They were clearly leaving this world and then going to the fringe, as Marlene had described it. She saw the huge building deeply resembling a gigantic spider web and recalled what Ron had told her about Aragog's lair.

 

The spider entered the web and nimbly came down to the center of it, landing already as Lachesis.

 

'Home, at last.'

 

Hermione looked around. She already knew some of the place, having been there before, to plea for Ron's life. Back then, all she saw was the web of threads and a spider’s lair. Now, though, she could see it was cozy and really comfy.

 

Hermione reprimanded herself. What was she expecting? Dead flies wrapped in silky threads?

 

‘Oh, dear,’ laughed Lachesis. ‘Please take the body and voice all your questions.’

 

Hermione took on the body still embarrassed that her ridiculous thoughts were being shared. Atropos said mentally, Do not feel afraid to ask a question, even if you think it is silly.

 

‘I really thought there might be dead flies and such…’

 

I can see you keep referring to that movie with a monstrous spider, said Lachesis. No, we eat normal food and we make our own chores. That is usually my field. But we share.

 

‘I can cook… a bit.’

 

Lachesis is really good, offered Atropos. Sometimes I bake a bit, too.

 

‘I am best at cleaning, I confess,’ said Hermione.

 

Good, a cleaner, cherished Lachesis. It seems you will fit well, my dear.

 

‘And what about the loom? I’ve never done that before.’

 

It is not hard, said Atropos. Marlene left a lot of threads already spun, so you can practice spinning the new threads with the distaff and the spindle. But it is your job to pick up the fibers in the Void.

 

Hermione blanched, ‘The Void?’

 

It is just a part of Purgatory, explained Lachesis. It is strictly Clotho’s job to pick the fibers and collect them in the staff. Then you can come back to the Abode, and we will help you spin them.

 

‘Can’t you help me collect them?’

 

No, dear, said Atropos. We are not allowed there. It is Clotho’s realm.

 

‘How am I going to do that?’

 

We can practice your use of the distaff, said Lachesis reassuringly. Go to the spinning room. There you will find an old-fashioned spinning-wheel. Remember the Sleeping Beauty? It’s just like that. The Golden Distaff is right by it. The spindle can do it just fine, but the spinning-wheel sometimes helps speeding up the spinning.

 

‘I fear I have no familiarity with this at all.’ Hermione felt tension rising up. What if she could not do it?

 

Relax, dear, said Lachesis. We will help you. And maybe the Green Mother can help you at the Void. She is allowed in there.

 

‘I never met her.’

 

She is one of the major Incarnations, explained Atropos. We all work together so that the system works.

 

‘So tell me more about this system. And how was it that Ron was murdered by Satan.’

 

There was a spot of mental silence. Then Lachesis, always accommodating, invited, Why don’t we discuss it over a bit of tea? I am a pit peckish.

 

Hermione felt the tension double.

 

o0o 0o0 o0o 0o0

 

The smell of lemongrass and chamomile never smelled so lovely as Hermione sat on the table of the Abode of Fate. It was a familiar sense in the amidst of so much new environment.

 

Perhaps I could take over the body and explain the mechanics of things, offered Lachesis. Hermione agreed, and the middle-aged woman came to the "front" of the body. It was still something to get used.

 

'You will get the hang of it,' said Lachesis. 'It is just a matter of common sense, giving privacy when privacy is due, and all that.'

 

Atropos piped up, Mortals could learn that, if you ask me.

 

Hermione smiled internally. Each minute she liked Atropos even better. The older aspect felt that, too.

 

Lachesis explained, 'When you came here the first time, you learned the basis of our firmament. We are five major incarnations, working below but independently from the two major entities. Our job is to keep life on the mortal realm flowing smoothly. We are prohibited from directly interfering in individual lives, especially Fate. As Fate, we must ensure destiny to happen, even though we don't make the decisions.'

 

Then who does them?, asked Hermione.

 

'Probably God and Satan, after consultation with their advisors, but this is not clear,' said Lachesis. 'It is not up to us to question or even understand the criteria of their decision making process. All I know is that it includes merit issues among others. And let me stress this: they are not allowed to interfere with mortals, either.'

 

Hermione was shocked. Lachesis didn't give her time to formulate a question.

 

'These rules are older than time. It was a covenant made at the dawn of the ages. We, incarnations, are immortals but not perennial. We can die or just quit the office, like Marlene did. It is different for God and Satan, though frankly I have my doubts about Satan. Besides, needless to say, the Prince of Darkness is always trying to bend or ignore the ancient rules.'

 

That knave, thought Atropos, disgusted.

 

So he interferes and God doesn't?, asked Hermione.

 

'Long story short, yes, but it is not as simple as that,' answered Lachesis. 'It is mostly a subtle interference. Just like your husband's death, an accident. It wasn't even suspicious. It was ruled as an accidental death. Satan is always subtle and insidious. And God left that whole parting of the Red Sea approach in the past.'

 

But God hears prayers, right?, asked Hermione.

 

Atropos moved uncomfortably, and Lachesis was a bit reticent. 'See, this is a very touchy subject because of religious beliefs. We don’t want people to lose faith. I am sure God hears prayers, and it is said that he moves in mysterious ways, but we just have no tangible confirmation, that’s all. Even we, the incarnations, have no direct access to God. The angels are his representatives and they are as high as we go.'

 

So you have access to Satan? Do you go down or does he appear to the incarnations?, asked the former witch.

 

Atropos huffed in indignation. That entity has no respect for boundaries at all! What a horrible, horrible man!

 

Lachesis reminded, ‘He is not a man.’

 

You know what I mean, said Atropos. Hermione liked her more and more by the minute. But yes, he may appear occasionally.

 

I still can’t figure out why would he kill Ron, said Hermione. Just for my soul?

 

Lachesis said, ‘Satan is deviant, but he is no fool. He may have anticipated Marlene’s move and killed Ron to prevent you from becoming Clotho. But I am just speculating, of course.’

 

Why would he want to prevent my becoming Fate?, wondered Hermione.

 

Maybe you will uncover one of his great schemes, said Atropos excitedly. I am sure this man has some sort of swindle or trickery ring in Purgatory! He has agents everywhere!

 

‘Yes, he has minions in a lot of places,’ conceded Lachesis. ‘But Purgatory is neutral territory. Like Switzerland.’

 

But not everybody who lives in Switzerland is Swiss, right?, asked Atropos. Hermione had to admit the elder aspect of Fate made a good point.

 

It would be good to get back at Satan for what he did to Ron, thought Hermione. But that was not the reason she accepted the office and she knew it.

 

Lachesis (and Atropos as well) could hear her thoughts. ‘Good,’ said the middle-age aspect of Fate. ‘Because the office is so much more than this. Marlene was right about you. You wanted something bigger than yourself, I can see that now. Well, there’s hardly anything bigger than Fate.’

 

Even Nature is not as big as Fate, piped Atropos. But don’t let her know we think that.

 

‘Well, Hermione, is there anything else you would like to know? Do you want to know my original name?’

 

The conversation turned suddenly, and it made Hermione relax. Because Atropos name was Mathilda and she was a widow. After raising all her children during the war, the couple decided to live their golden years in little house in a coastal town. Then they were swindled by a vicious knave and became penniless. Their children couldn't help, because they had children of their own. So her husband became sick and died of sheer sadness. Sad as well, she contemplated suicide, but couldn't do that to her grandchildren. But her zest for life was gone. Then came the invitation from former Atropos, who had never married and wanted to experience life within a big family, surrounded by grandchildren. Mathilda, though, was attracted to the thought of doing a bigger job than just raising kids. So they switched places.

 

Lachesis had a similar story. She had been a brilliant woman, engrossed in her career where she was well-known and quite accomplished. However, in those times, success for a woman equaled a good marriage, a house full of kids and a nice position in society. And when she concerned herself to find a nice husband, she was already tagged as a spinster at the age of 32. Nevertheless, she found herself a suitable suitor, with relative easiness, and soon marriage arrangements were made. But by one of those strange turns of faith, she discovered her betrothed had no intention of fulfilling the loyalty vows. Disillusioned, she was at the brink of doing something drastic when Fate literally intervened. And a new Lachesis comes to the Abode.

 

So you didn't have to die?, asked Hermione.

 

'No, there was no need. Poor Marlene just had a nasty streak of bad luck.'

 

Yes, you may say so, snapped Hermione. She has my life now.

 

I suggest we either get dinner started or go rest, interrupted Atropos. Tomorrow is going to be a big day.

 

Why?, asked Hermione.

 

'Because, dear,' said Lachesis with a deceptively sweet smile, 'tomorrow you will go in the Void.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When the three aspects of Fate interact amongst themselves, the single quotation marks indicate only the aspect that has the body. The other two aspects have neither quotation marks nor italics for speech, so that it does not look confusing. I have tried double quotation marks or italics, but it looked horrible. For clarity purposes, I opted to keep normal formatting for the internal speech of the other two aspects without Fate's body.


	14. That Ariadne trick and Lucifer's move

##  **Chapter 14 –** **That** **Ariadne** **trick and Lucifer's move**

 

In the end, it made sense, Hermione admitted to herself. Since she was still in her period of grace, any mistakes she made on the Void would be pardoned. Unfortunately, the other aspects of Fate were alarmingly vague about the material Hermione was supposed to collect.

 

Deep inside the Void, there was the material, “some sort of soul stuff”, said Lachesis, a fiber Hermione was supposed to collect and use to spin the threads in the spindle. So they decided to go in the first opportunity they had.

 

It was also a chance to practice the whole traveling by threads thing. Hermione was the one who spun out the thread and climbed it expertly. There were threads of time and threads of space, in a world of new magic she would love to study. There was also the Thread of Life, the one and only, and that was the one who should guide her inside the Void.

 

'But why aren't you allowed in the Void?' asked Hermione.

 

It's more a question of not being able to handle it, explained Lachesis. Our minds are not equipped. Not all incarnations can handle the Void.

 

'Which ones can?'

 

Mars, Gaia, said Atropos. Maybe others. We don't know for sure.

 

And Clotho, of course, said Lachesis. Marlene used to pick up her yellow cloak - the same one you are wearing now - and do this at least once a month.

 

She said each time became easier, added Atropos.

 

'So the first time is the hardest,' shivered Hermione.

 

We will be with you, but dormant. It will be like a little nap.

 

Hermione was not sure if the nap would be little or short at all. She took on the distaff to hold the fibers and began her way. She had a long trek ahead of her.

 

The location itself was vague. The Void stood somewhere beyond Purgatory, not upwards nor downwards. Just beyond.

 

'There is a forest ahead,' she told the other aspects.

 

That is correct. And this is about the point where our consciousness begin to fail. Good luck, sister.

 

And Hermione felt the other two fall silent. She also shivered a bit on the inside and took out her golden distaff, the one with the Thread of Life. Like the Greek heroine Ariadne, the thread would make sure she didn't lose her way inside the Void.

 

It was trickier than she thought. Since the Void could not go upwards to Heaven or downwards to Hell, Hermione assumed it would be a flat environment. She was wrong.

 

Laws of physics and logic stayed out of that place. The path was constantly blocked by a forest of impossible trees whose roots grew upwards and had bark of its own. It was getting darker by each turn.

 

Hermione kept unraveling the Thread of Life from her magical distaff and it kept her going for a long time. But she had no intention of giving up, and it reminded herself of the impossible task of retrieving one of Lord Voldemort's horcruxes from the Black family's vault at Gringotts. She had been able to do that, so she should be able to do this.

 

The small path grew darker yet and even more impossible at every step, because it went upwards and then it bent backwards in an apparent loop. Hermione looked back at the pathway and realized it was actually a spiral. Even when she thought she was upside down, the spiral moved on.

 

Ever so gently, the spiral began turning into a stream of some sort. It was fluid, but not liquid, and the sheer impossibility of that made Hermione realize how there were stranger things in that weird new world. The dark environment did not make it any easier to get oriented or to dispel the dreamy feeling of the place.

 

There was no way Hermione could avoid the strange stream, so she used the cloak as a means of not getting wet. Much to her surprise, the cloak's fabric turned into a rigid material. And it was the only thing fairly visible, because of its bright yellow color.

 

'This must be the answer: the cloak is a raft,' mused the girl. But she hesitated. Could the stream turn violent and break the thread, leaving her utterly stranded in the core of the Void? Then she realized that she was using the Thread of Life itself. Only Atropos could cut the Thread of Life.

 

 _Smart girl, Marlene_ , admired Hermione.

 

And her little makeshift boat rolled down the stream. Or up, as it may seem, for there was a sort of waterfall of non-water fluid that went straight up. Hermione tried not to panic, as the pool was made of thick fibers that had tiny bright spots scintillating everywhere as if it was nighttime and the pool above her head was a sort of starry sky. She was awed, actually. It was beautiful and quite impossible to describe.

 

Was that what Van Gogh saw in his head in the fields of Provence all those centuries ago?

 

Then Hermione looked around and realized. That was _it_. That was the heart of the Void. And that was the Source of Life itself, the purest stuff. That was the material Hermione needed to spin the threads of mortal people’s lives. She did not waste time.

 

With the utmost care, Hermione gathered a bit of the stuff and put it gently in the distaff creating a skein of fibers. It was not as puffy as cotton nor as sticky as cotton candy, and it certainly was malleable enough not to get tangled as she harvested it and collected in the distaff.

 

This is almost fun, cheered Hermione internally. She was also feeling quite accomplished, for being able to complete the task. It gave her a feeling of really being an Incarnation of Immortality. She wished she could talk to her two sisters in office.

 

It was not long before the distaff looked properly full, and she declared her task completed. Now it was time to get back to the Abode, and to see if the Ariadne trick with the Thread of Life worked after all.

 

Hermione pulled the thread and basically hauled herself out of the unusual stream of fluid. When solid path reappeared, she retraced her way back through the spiraling bridges and roads, recovering the sacred Thread on the golden distaff.

 

When the slopes and declivities eased a bit, Hermione got enough of her normal senses to realize something was amiss. The narrow, dark path looked the same, but the young woman could feel the hairs on the back of her neck sharply rising.

 

Suddenly there was a man right in front of her, blocking her way.

 

'Well, well, well,' he said maliciously. 'Look who it is. So soon in the office and already on the job, lovely Clotho?'

 

It was so dark Hermione couldn't see the man's features. He seemed to be wearing a suit, but the lack of light didn't let her be sure of that. 'Who is this? How can you be here?'

 

He laughed silkily. 'Oh, dear beauty, you may be new but you surely know some incantations can go to the Void beyond yourself.'

 

'I don't recall meeting you before.'

 

'And this is a fault I am glad to correct now, sweet Clotho, as well as other faults committed against me. I am here to clear my evil name, oh delicious one.'

 

Hermione felt a shock trespassing her entire immortal body. 'Satan...!"

 

The man in the shadows bowed down to her most dramatically, 'King of all things evil, Prince of Darkness, and all other horrid monikers, in the supernatural flesh. So flattered to make your lovely acquaintance.'

 

Hermione exploded in long-repressed rage, yelling, 'Well, I am not! You filthy murderer! You killed Ron!'

 

The Most Evil One made a mock expression of ironic sadness, 'Oh, yes, the sacrificial husband. May I express my unfelt condolences on your loss?'

 

The words made Hermione even angrier. 'You foul cockroach! I hate you, you hear me? I **hate** you!'

 

He hadn't lost his smirk. 'Of course you hate me, you most delectable thing. I am the master of all evil and destructive emotions. You see? I influence people to feel evil. And there you are, hating me whole heartedly. I am humbly proud.'

 

Hermione realized he was right. But the hatred for being before the one responsible for Ron's senseless death was overwhelming. Disgust and ire poured out of her skin, as she seethed at the incarnation of evil.

 

She accused, 'You thought I would become so mad with grief that I would end my life, thus damning my soul to hell.'

 

Satan had the audacity to look surprised. Actually, he looked insulted. 'Oh, is that what the others told you? They said they would blame me, but at least they could have come up with a better excuse. Do they really believe I am not capable of a deeper plan?'

 

'Others? Which others? What are you talking about?'

 

'I told you before: I came here to clear my evil name. I am being improperly accused of your husband's demise. The other incarnations conspired to kill your husband and make you accept the office. Of course they blamed me for the deed, and I accepted because I preside all evil deeds. It is my job.’ He shrugged.

 

Hermione was confused. 'I don't understand. The other incarnations did this? Why?'

 

Satan shrugged and sighed, smirking, 'Oh, the innocence of mortals. Let me explain how things are here, sweetheart. The incarnations may be immortals, but mostly they are humans, with human flaws and human tastes. And most of them are male. With male _needs_ , if you catch my drift.'

 

Hermione couldn't help but blush. Even in the dark, the Prince of Evil caught that. 'I can see my meaning is, indeed, not lost to you. So, when the opportunity arose to attract such a scrumptious thing like you here, they were all for it. Old Clotho was, after all, an old thing, having lost all innocence and freshness. She was the first one to jump at the chance of relieving herself from whoring duties.'

 

'WHAT?'

 

Satan never lost the ironic smirk. 'Excuse my French, but let's be honest, sweet chums, that is the right name. I am sure the other aspects explained it to you as being the only one who could understand poor Chronos, but soon virile Mars would pay you a visit, as well as somber Thanatos... You know how these things go.'

 

Hermione was shocked. 'Shut up! Shut up right now!'

 

Satan sounded totally smug and proud of himself. 'You know I am right. They all conspired against you, doll. And since I am taking the heat, why not reap the benefits?'

 

'What do you mean?'

 

'It doesn't have to be uncomfortable, Hermione,' said Satan. And suddenly he transformed himself into Ron. Her Ron was there, all red hair and bright eyes, smiling at her. And he moved towards her seductively. 'Don't you miss kissing your dear husband, my Mione?'

 

That was the straw that broke the camel's back. She completely freaked out. Taking out the distaff, Hermione attacked Satan as if the instrument were a sword. She shrieked, 'You fiendish creature! Stay away from my husband!'

 

Satan transformed back to his evil self and renewed his charge. 'Your choice, scrumptious. But I just wanted to set the record straight.'

 

'That is not true! _You_ murdered my husband!'

 

'Keep on telling yourself that, if it makes you feel better. But don't think they wouldn't let pass the chance to have a tasty morsel like you warming their sheets.'

 

'LIAR!'

 

'Suit yourself,' shrugged him, unfazed. 'I will go now. Perhaps we can talk again when you feel more... accommodating.' He leered at her so ostensibly Hermione shivered in pure disgust.

 

Then he disappeared in a cloud of foul smoke.

 

Hermione was angry and seething and crying and grieving, all at once. Her usual cool demeanor had been blown to smithereens.

 

Those incarnations...! They were all in on this horrendous plan! She felt so betrayed and out of sorts that it took her some minutes just to stop crying and yelling to the Void. Then she struggled to get her bearings in that strange place. Finally, after many more minutes, Hermione could be on her way.

 

It was not long before the other two aspects woke up and realized something was wrong with her.

 

I can feel your distress, sister, said Lachesis gently. Did something happen?

 

'Yes, most definitely,' said Hermione, fuming.

 

But she never elaborated on that until they reached the Abode. Hermione diligently stored the fibers near the spindle and then asked acidly, 'When were you going to tell me about the conspiracy to kill my husband?'

 

Atropos detected the underlying anger, We don't understand. We already told you all about Satan's plan to get a soul.

 

'Well,' said Hermione tensely, 'it seems Satan disagrees with your version.'

 

The two aspects were alarmed.

 

You talked to Satan?

 

When? How?

 

'He appeared to me in the Void and told me all about _your_ plan to kill Ron!' Her anger was rising again.

 

 _Our_ plan? Is that what he said to you?

 

Well, it is obviously a lie, Hermione, said Atropos. You can't believe him!

 

'Why not? It made perfect sense to me!'

 

What would we gain by killing your husband?, asked Lachesis.

 

'So you could convince me to take the office and allow use of my body to all male incarnations. _Whoring_ duties, as he said.'

 

The other two were appalled. This is such a lie!, reiterated Atropos. How could you believe that?

 

We are women just like you, reminded Lachesis. It would not make any sense for us to conspire in that matter.

 

'It makes sense, since those duties would befall to me, and not you,' Hermione practically snarled at her.

 

Oh, my goodness, said Atropos, crestfallen. You _believed_ in him. He is the Father of Lies and you believed him.

 

'Can you prove they were lies?' challenged Hermione. 'You all said I'd have to be accommodating.'

 

Lachesis sighed, You have been poisoned by Satan. May I suggest you confront Chronos about it? Talk to him. See if you can get him to tell you the truth.

 

Hermione was so riled up that her first instinct was to dismiss Lachesis's words. But she realized it actually was a logical suggestion. So she went straight to the Incarnation of Time's home.

 


	15. Chronos’s deal

##  **Chapter 15 – Chronos’s deal**

Chronos had a rather attractive house in Purgatory, decided Hermione. It was not terribly old-fashioned or completely futuristic. For a man lost in time, Chronos showed remarkable sense of taste. Or was that a hand from Marlene? And was that some standard for the other incarnations? For a brief instant, Hermione wondered how the entities managed their living arrangements.

Then she heard Atropos remind her, Focus. Hermione blushed and knocked.

Chronos opened up the door and smiled, 'Hello, love. Come in.'

Hermione did without a word, and he embraced her lovingly. That was enough to enrage her again once more. She broke the embrace and proceeded to slap him soundly in the face.

'Ow!,' he exclaimed, touching the sore cheek. 'What did you do that for?'

'There is no need to disguise the truth from me anymore,' she said coldly. 'I know all about the conspiracy to make me your - your _lover!'_ The last word was said with no small amount of contempt.

The elder incarnation looked at her with a lost expression on his face. 'Clotho, what are you talking about?'

Hermione spat the words in his direction, 'I know that you and the other incarnations teamed up with a plan to make me accept the job, and to do that you people didn't hesitate to conspire to _murder_ my husband! This is it! I am done with all of you immortals! I wish to quit this whole damned thing right now!'

The man was increasingly distraught. 'Sweetheart, what is this? Why are-' Chronos stopped himself suddenly. 'Is that your first day in the office?'

She barked, 'You know damn well it is!'

Chronos looked at her in deep anguish. 'No, my dear, I don't. I don't know. My life is all backwards, you see.' He seemed to be getting more emotional by the second. 'I didn't know we were about to change, that there would be a new... well, a new _you_ , and you helped me so _much;_ I mean the former you. You were so helpful when I felt lonely and lost, I didn't even know how to hold the hourglass, and you kept my secrets, you never told the others; I was absurdly grateful to you, but -'

The Incarnation of Time stopped his rant for two reasons. The strongest one was that he burst into tears, unable to continue, and the other reason was that he saw Clotho looking at him in the oddest possible manner.

Chronos wiped his tears hastily, asking, 'You don't have a clue what I am talking about, do you?'

Hermione smiled and answered, 'I know something now. You couldn't have conspired against me. Your timeline is different!'

Hermione saw him nod, for it was true. Chronos could not have conspired into killing Ron. And if that was true, then everything Satan told her must be a big fat lie. And she bought it, hook, line and sinker.

Now you understand, said Lachesis in her head. She sounded sad.

I told you it was a pack of lies, said Atropos, sounding angry. That scoundrel!

Hermione felt so ashamed. She turned to the Incarnation of Time and said, gently, 'Chronos, I am so sorry. I was so unfair to you. Please, forgive me. Could we start our friendship all over again?'

He smiled, and it was a brilliant smile, as he took her both hands into his and answered, 'Our friendship may seem young to you, but you are an old friend of mine, dear Clotho, even this version of you. You have shown me a whole new world, and I am so grateful to you. I could never harm you intentionally, and you must keep this as an absolute truth.'

Chronos kissed Hermione's hands and she felt he was sincere. He went on, 'I think this moment is when we put together our pact.'

'Pact?' repeated her.

'When I first met you, so long ago (to me, I mean),' he explained in a didactic manner, 'you made it clear that having me as your lover was not of your own volition. Former Clotho presented this situation to you as a _fait accompli_ , as they say. She was a clever girl to do that.'

'How so?'

'Clotho knew I would never pursue an unwilling lover. No one can say Time has not a measure of mercy. You and I talked it over and we really struck a deal. To all the others, I will still be Fate's lover. But not the aspect of Fate everyone believes. For I know now Lachesis is a mature, practical, loving and gentle woman who happens to love this old man here.'

The information fell like the Hiroshima bomb on all three aspects of the incarnation of Fate. Hermione gasped and so did the other two. Chronos wanted Lachesis?

He knows?, a shocked Lachesis said in Hermione's head.

Way to go, you old gal!, teased Atropos. Chronos is such a looker!

The Incarnation of Time told Hermione, 'I think you are a lovely girl, Clotho, but is it possible to discuss this with my beloved Lachesis?'

Hermione was still shocked by the whole confession and didn't move for a good minute, before feisty Atropos intervened vigorously, Clotho, don't just stand there! Make room for the lovebirds!

Hermione let Lachesis take over the body, and Chronos gasped as he looked at the middle-aged aspect of Fate, 'You look more scrumptious every time I see you, darling.'

Atropos was elated, perhaps even more than Lachesis, realized Hermione. The middle-aged aspect was still under the impact of Chronos's declaration. 'Did you mean what you said?'

'Of course I meant. Every word of it. You are delectable, my love.'

The couple seemed lost in each other. Hermione asked the older aspect, I don't think we should be watching this. How can we give them privacy?

Atropos chuckled, Welcome to the awesome world of three personalities in one body. There is no privacy. Let's just shut up and look the other way.

Hermione did that. It was hard not to look at such a beautiful love story unfolding right in front of her. Apparently, Lachesis had loved Chronos from afar for a long time, but never acted on that because the former Clotho was in love with Time, and she seemed to be corresponded, for Chronos looked very happy with their affair. Lachesis never displayed any jealousy or resentment towards the sister aspect.

But it had hurt, Lachesis admitted.

Chronos said it was New Clotho who opened his eyes to Lachesis when she proposed some sort of negotiation. The personification of time said he would not mind an older lover, that as matter of fact, mature women had always been a preference of his in his mortal life. Besides, once he found out Lachesis had affection in her heart for him, it was an irresistible turn-on for him.

To the other incarnations, however, Chronos was still Clotho's lover. At first, Hermione thought it was just to save face. After all, it would be hard to a man to explain he had passed a young delicious woman in favor of an older girlfriend. But the truth was much darker than mere appearance of sexual prowess.

Chronos explained it himself. The Incarnation of Time said the arrangement was the least he could do to avoid the risk of Hermione being sexually disputed by the other incarnations. Satan had already made a move (Hermione confirmed), and Death was calmer, he said, but love was not an area of Thanatos. Mars, however, was quite aggressive, sexually speaking. Although the Incarnation of War had a long-standing arrangement with Gaia, the Incarnation of Nature, he was a manly man, who would not hesitate to take a younger lover by the side. Hermione shuddered in disgust.

And so the deal was sealed. Chronos and Lachesis played the loving old couple, though Clotho would take the rep as a salacious lover.

It seemed like a win-win situation. But not even Time could predict every tiny little occurrence ahead.

o0o 0o0 o0o 0o0

They returned to the Abode of Fate in high spirits. Hermione was thoroughly mortified for having fallen so easily to Satan's cheap tricks and asked forgiveness of her sisters. Atropos tried to comfort her, and Lachesis was so happy about her newly affair with Chronos that hardly was angry at her. It seemed the whole Satan thing was over.

Except for the fact that Satan decided to stop and pay Fate a visit in the Abode. Hermione had the body, and so Satan's red face had a big smile as he greeted her, 'Hello, scrumptious.'

Caught by surprise, Hermione shouted, 'You!'

The abhorrent figure flashed a winning smile. 'Miss me, sweet chums?'

If she were still a witch, Hermione would throw him the nastiest curse she knew that was not an Unforgivable. But now she was a mere incarnation, and all she could do was cuss at him.

And she laid out on him, hard and low.

'Oh,' he said, faking admiration. 'Those are some choice words, loveliest. I guess I struck a nerve.'

Lachesis advised, Don't let him disturb you beyond the ability of thought.

But Hermione was still angry, 'You lied to me and tried to scam me.'

The Prince of Evil minimized it, 'I may have exaggerated it, I admit it. But it was out of concern for you. A sweet young girl like you should not have to be the lover to an old geezer such as Chronos. Nor should you be disputed by the other sleazy male incarnations. So I came here to make you an offer to set you free from all this grief.'

'What makes you think I will believe anything you say?' asked her.

'Because I may have exaggerated, but I did not tell you complete lies,' emphasized him. 'There was some truth to what I told you. Consult the history: that is how evil works, with basis on truth. The incarnations will try to bed your lovely body, and they will not respond well to any of your negatives. But, oh scrumptious one, I can protect you.'

Easy, girl, said Atropos, sensing another explosion from Hermione. The younger aspect of Fate refrained from hurling another cuss word at the Incarnation of Evil.

The apparent lack of resistance made Satan go on, 'You could be immortal and young forever without having to be lover to any unwanted old chap. I guarantee you protection if you are my lover. I would treat you like a queen in my domain, pamper you beyond anything you have ever seen!'

Hermione was a bit awed, 'A queen?'

Satan sensed she was taken aback. 'Not only a queen, but my most distinguished protégé. I would give you an exclusive abode and lavish you with rich clothes, jewels and whatever else your heart desires! If you want, I can emulate your husband, to ensure your pleasure. I can emulate anyone you want!'

Hermione looked at him, and her expression didn't let out a clue about her thoughts. If he were a cat, Satan would be licking his whiskers, in anticipation.

You cannot be taking him seriously, said Lachesis in alarm.

Smart Atropos quickly realized, She is egging him on! You go, Clotho! Let this bastard eat off his own words!

'What about the office?,' asked Hermione. 'You want me to abandon my post in the very beginning of my cycle?'

'No one gets hurt this way,' explained the Rotten One. 'You have not been Fate time enough to make any difference.'

Then a polite knock was heard. 'Excuse me, Marlene, may I come -?'

It was Thanatos, the Incarnation of Death.

Or, as Hermione knew him better, Severus Snape, former Death Eater turned superspy.

Holy shit!, exclaimed Lachesis inside Hermione.

And she took over the body.

o0o 0o0 o0o 0o0

Something definitely was going on, decided Severus, as he resumed his favorite leisure time activity: keeping an eye on Hermione. He had not done that in a long time. More precisely, the last time had been when he came out to her as an Incarnation of Immortality. And now something seemed amiss.

Severus had not used the danger alerting device since the demise of the Dark Lord Voldemort. But he could not resist altering the device to alert him of any danger towards Hermione, especially since her surprise visit to Purgatory, to beg for the life of her husband.

The apparatus had warned him of a trivial accident during her holiday in Ireland. Actually, the accident had not been so trivial. Harry Potter had been called, for Hermione went to a hospital and the doctors said she suffered bouts of mild memory loss. She could not explain why she had used the name Monica Wendel to register in the resort or the name of the lady who had dined with her the night before the accident. But all of that was forgotten because she was well enough to go back to England. And then Severus noticed it.

It could be still grief, of course, for the loss of her husband. The death of a spouse always meant a terrible blow in a person's life. But Hermione seemed so different. Actually she _looked_ the same, but there was a different light in her eyes, another demeanor in her stance. She was changed somehow. And it baffled Severus.

Another thing Severus had not done in a long time was a visit to his friend Marlene. It seemed the Incarnation of Fate was quite busy these days, for she was never home. He tried and tried, but every time he stopped by the Abode there was nobody home.

Severus had no hope of finding anyone home when he knocked and came inside the Abode of Fate. So he was justifiably surprised when not only he found that Fate was home, but also that she had company.

Evil company.


	16. And then Death comes along

##  **Chapter 16 – And then Death comes along  
**

 

 

All heads turned to Severus when he came inside the Abode of Fate. He tried to assess the situation quickly.

 

'I didn't know you had company,' he said carefully.

 

Lachesis said, ‘No problem. Come in, Thanatos, please.'

 

Satan put a smile on his face, yet Severus knew he was frustrated. But his words sounded joyful. 'Death, my man! What are you doing here?'

 

'Visiting,' was the answer. 'Are you also on a social call, Mephistopheles?'

 

'You know I prefer to be called Satan,' said The Father of Lies. 'But I am here to discuss an offer with young Clotho.'

 

Severus looked at Lachesis. 'So if this is a bad time...'

 

'Yes, it is,' said Satan, suddenly aggressive. 'Beat it, bonehead!'

 

'Nonsense,' countered Lachesis calmly. 'Thanatos is an old friend and he is always welcome here in the Abode. And there is no need for name-calling, either, Lucifer. We are all mature, grownup incarnations in here.'

 

Satan made a face to her, as if he was five-years old, and Severus rose an eyebrow. But Lachesis never let neither speak, for she added, 'Besides, Clotho was about to reject your offer anyway, Satan. I am sorry, but she is not interested in becoming one of your minions.'

 

Satan looked affronted, 'Minion? I offered her a position of queen! Step aside, old woman; let me talk to her.'

 

Lachesis smiled very insincerely. 'Sorry, but she is not in the mood right now. Now, if this is all, you can take your leave. This issue is closed.'

 

Severus was successful in hiding his bewilderment. It was not wise to confront Satan like that, but he had known Fate long enough to know she was not one for beating the bush. Satan fumed and disappeared without further ado, his foul cloud of sulfur appearing in his wake.

 

Lachesis sighed, visibly relieved. 'Thank the goddess! I thought I ought to throw him out.'

 

Severus was surprised. 'Satan is not a frequent visitor. May I inquire about the purpose of his coming?'

 

'In due time,' Lachesis said with a hint of playfulness. 'Please sit.'

 

He did so. 'I am sorry to appear unannounced, but frankly I didn't expect to find anyone home. You haven't been around. Is there anything wrong, Marlene, and is Satan involved in it anyway?'

 

She shrugged, 'Something unexpected came up, that's all. Satan was here trying to take advantage, as he always does. But you said you were looking for me. May I help you, my friend?'

 

Severus said, 'I wanted to ask you if you know about Hermione. I went to check on her, and I believe something happened.'

 

Lachesis gave him her nonchalant attitude, 'Yes, you can say that, I suppose. But I wouldn't worry if I were you.'

 

He paid little attention to her. 'I am telling you, she is different, I can _feel_ it!' Severus didn't hide his uneasiness. 'Do you think she might try to get in contact with us again? She might lose her soul completely if she attempts suicide once more. Satan may win her over this time, and there will be nothing I can do! And why was he here anyway?’

 

Lachesis said with a smirk, ‘Glad you asked. You see, it may have escaped your notice, but we have a new aspect in the Abode.’

 

'What? A new one of you? I didn’t know that. When did this happen?'

 

Lachesis smiled at him fondly, took his hands between hers and said, 'It is quite recent. I will let the both of you greet each other.'

 

Severus saw Lachesis shimmer and in her place a young woman appeared. He was surprised to recognize the new Clotho.

 

'Hermione…?'

 

She smiled, her hands still holding his. 'Hello, Severus. I am so glad to see you.'

 

His heart seemed ready to jump from his chest. Hermione now was Fate?

 

'What happened to you? Why are you here? Oh, no! You didn't _die_ on me, did you?'

 

She laughed quietly, pearly white teeth appearing, 'No, I am not dead. But I became an incarnation, just like you. Your friend Marlene McKinnon now has my life.'

 

'But why? Why would you want to be Fate?'

 

'Did you really come to check on me?'

 

Severus blushed so violently he feared his complexion would change entirely. Still, he managed to keep his voice steady to answer, 'Yes.'

 

'Why?'

 

He tried to sound very matter-of-factly, 'I used to check on you and your friends for so long it sort of became a habit.' He realized how that must have sounded, and then cringed. 'Please don't think I am some sort of stalker.' _Actually_ , _I_ _am_ , he thought to himself, deeply ashamed.

 

'I guess there is no need to do that anymore,' she said. 'Lachesis said you are a friend.'

 

'Marlene and I didn't know each other well when we were wizards. Yet she helped me a lot in my first days as Death. I am deeply grateful to her.’

 

‘I had an excellent impression about her.’

 

‘I was not aware that the aspects of Fate were three different individuals. I always assumed they were three aspects of the same person.’

 

Hermione said, ‘Lachesis tells me it is on purpose. It constitutes a secret of the trade. So let’s keep this amongst us, shall we?’

 

‘I shall keep this secret until my life is over. Or my _almost_ life as an Incarnation.’

 

She joked, 'I think we should form a band: Former Members of the Order of the Phoenix Who Became Incarnations of Immortality.' She laughed again, a mellifluous sound that resonated deep within Severus. He found himself smiling, too.

 

Hermione noticed, 'You are smiling. I have never seen you smile before.'

 

Severus was embarrassed. 'There was no reason for that before.'

 

'And now?'

 

He smiled again. 'Now there is.'

 

It was Hermione's turn to blush. Severus wished Marlene could see him now. Speaking of which…

 

‘So Marlene is Hermione, now?’

 

‘That’s right,’ said Hermione. ‘She took over my life and my memories as well.’

 

‘And you agreed to it?’

 

‘I had to find out why Satan wanted Ron dead.’

 

Severus almost blurted out a bad word. ‘She told you about it, didn’t she?’

 

Hermione said, ‘Don’t blame her. I practically forced her to tell me.’

 

Severus stared at her. ‘You… Were you negotiating information with Satan when I arrived?’

 

‘No,’ said Hermione. ‘Satan wanted me to believe that Ron was murdered by you, the male incarnations, so I could be sexually available to all of you.’ Severus widened his eyes, and Hermione continued, eyes fixed on him. ‘I called out his lie, and he still maintained that you guys wanted to hit on me, so he said he could protect me if only I gave up being an aspect of Fate and lived in his domains.’

 

‘Herm – I mean, Clotho – or whatever you want to be called, let me stress this most emphatically, I would and I have never ever agreed to such horrendous-‘

 

Hermione interrupted him, ‘Relax, Severus. I caught his lies right on the spot. Besides, I know you. You protected Ron for _years_. And Satan wanted me to believe you had him killed just to seduce me? Please. You would think the Father of Lies could come up with something better than this, right? But I went to Chronos, and he set the record straight. He is such a sweetheart.

 

‘Yes, of course. Chronos…’ Severus was struck by a thought, a horrible thought.

 

Then everything changed.

 

o0o 0o0 o0o 0o0

 

Meanwhile, Hermione was having a hard time controlling her two other thirds. The other aspects of Fate were all excited, bordering the hysterical. Atropos was positively out of control, yelling in her head, Kiss him! Kiss him!

 

Lachesis quieted her elder aspect, Leave them be, Atropos. Let them do this in their own pace.

 

The older one was impatient, They act like teenagers. Or preteens! Good grief, 12-year-olds would be snogging themselves silly by now!

 

Shush!

 

Kiss him! Kiss him!

 

Hermione asked, mentally, and very determinedly, _Will you guys please shut your pie hole?_

 

The other two aspects of Fate took pity on their younger sister and maintained silence. Too bad they had no idea of the moral dilemma Severus was going through at that precise moment.

 

o0o 0o0 o0o 0o0

 

 _Chronos_ …, thought Severus, his mental alarm bells ringing on full volume.

 

Severus recalled the romantic arrangement Marlene had with Chronos. Was it possible that Clotho’s office included this agreement, and now Hermione was forced to keep the deal in place? Severus was friends with Chronos, and he knew about it. Also, since Severus was friends with the Incarnation of Time, he would never make advances over his friend’s romantic interest, namely Hermione. Severus was too much of a gentleman to do that. Besides, he didn’t believe Hermione would accept him in such circumstances.

 

All his glorious romantic fantasies crumbled like a house of cards in the wind.

 

Was Severus so damned that he would never, _ever_ , be happy in love, be it dead, alive or in-between?

 

With his heart in a million pieces, Severus turned to Hermione sporting a pleasant smile. ‘I am glad you did not succumb to the pack of lies of the Incarnation of Evil. Anyway, I believe a proper greeting is in order: welcome to our merry little group of immortals.’ He stood up. ‘I am sorry to leave abruptly, but there is a client shortly coming. I should not keep him waiting. Perhaps I should come by another time?’

 

‘You are always welcome, Severus.’ Hermione was smiling at him nonstop.

 

‘See you later then,’ he said, and went to Mort. He had plans to go straight home and give himself a good, long sulk.

 

Not to mention, he also had an extra eye to keep on Satan, that scoundrel.

 

o0o 0o0 o0o 0o0 o0o

 

Sadly, however, beyond that initial flirt, nothing else developed between Severus and Hermione. Atropos was so outraged she took over the body.

 

‘What happened? What did we miss?’ she asked.

 

I don’t know, said Lachesis, pensively. The flirting was coming so nicely, but then suddenly, he withdrew. Why would he do that? He waited so long!

 

Guys?, asked Hermione. What is going on here?

 

Lachesis said, Sweetie, didn't you realize how he was trying to flirt with you?

 

Atropos commented sourly, Badly, by the way.

 

Hermione said hesitantly, It did seem so... At least that's what I thought.

 

Lachesis added, But then he changed his mind.

 

Atropos said, 'Why would he do that? After all this time, when he finally has his chance? All those years?'

 

Years?, repeated Hermione. What do you mean, _years?_

 

Atropos suggested, ‘Maybe this is a good time for a cup of tea, ladies. Don’t you think?’

 

And so they started to exchange confidences while making tea preparations. It was the middle-aged aspect that broke the news to Hermione.

 

Sweetie, said Lachesis, that man has been in love with you for years.

 

Hermione was shocked to hear that. No, you must be wrong. He never -

 

'Never said anything?' asked Atropos, checking on the kettle. 'Of course he wouldn't. He respected you too much, as well as your marriage, your husband. Severus is a very honored man.'

 

But Harry's mother... recalled Hermione. He had loved her his whole life.

 

Lachesis corrected her, Actually, he _pined_ over her a long time even after he was declared dead, I give you that. He used to come here and talk his head off about Lily to Marlene. The two ladies were good friends, you know.

 

Hermione asked, Then how he came over Harry’s mother?

 

Atropos reassured her, 'That was not easy, for this man is as loyal as a dog. Eventually, though, he realized it was an impossible love. Then you came along, with your brilliant mind, and his heart was captured. He was so distraught about you when you were younger.'

 

So he then started coming here and pining for you with Marlene, said Lachesis.

 

He never told me anything, said Hermione, baffled.

 

He would never, said the middle-aged aspect. But I have to admit that Severus's crush on you alerted Marlene to the convenience of having you as an aspect of Fate.

 

Hermione recalled part of their conversation at the willow grove in Ireland. She didn't reveal anything. What sort of matchmaker was that?

 

Marlene would never use Severus's feelings to convince you, said Lachesis, sensing her concerns. Yes, she sought to bring you two together, but she has always been a subtle lass.

 

Atropos exclaimed dramatically, 'Oh what a tangled web we weave!'

 

Quit citing Sir Walter Scott and help me here, asked Lachesis. Severus was almost making a move at Hermione and solving all problems at once. Even Satan would back down if Severus claimed Clotho as his lover. What could have stopped him?

 

Hermione asked, Not to change the subject, but is there anything about this whole Satan business you guys are not telling me?

 

Atropos had the decency to look uncomfortable. 'Well, we don't know anything for sure, but we very much suspect Satan is keen on keeping you from being Fate.'

 

Why?, asked the girl.

 

Lachesis answered, It is quite possible he heard you might thwart some future plan of his and he wants to prevent it.

 

Atropos said, ‘Yes, Lachesis may be on to something. He did seem a bit too anxious, if I may say so…’

 

Hermione said, Offering me an honored place in his domains was a bit over the top, wasn't it? Though being called queen does sound nice...

 

'Don't kid yourself,' said Atropos seriously. 'He would have you caged and used as a sexual treat for his own purposes. Learn this quickly: every little thing Satan says is a lie, tailored specifically for your desires. He will say anything you want to hear and he will do good in none of his words. Father of All Lies is a pale title for him.'

 

Hermione had never heard such repugnance in the older aspect of Fate. She wondered if there was some personal reason for such intense hatred.

 

'No, dear, nothing personal,' guaranteed Atropos, reading her mind. 'He just gets to my nerves.'

 

And Satan surely did something to get to Death’s nerves, I’d bet, said Lachesis. I would love to know what.

 

'Perhaps we need more information,' said Atropos. 'Chronos is a dear friend to Death. He might know what it is that pissed off the Prince of Evil so royally.'

 

It was at this moment that the front door of the Abode chimed delicately. Atropos frowned. 'Who might it be now?'

 

Lachesis said, Put some more water in the kettle and let's go find out.

 

Hermione was awed at Lachesis's ability to foresee circumstances. When the door opened, Fate found out it was a literal call from Nature.

 

Gaia herself had come for a visit.


	17. A natural concern

##  **Chapter 17 – A natural concern  
**

 

Lachesis assumed the body and greeted, 'Gaia, dear, how are you?'

 

The Incarnation of Nature was a woman of no defined age, nor old nor young, but she was definitely a striking beauty. Dark skinned with a huge mane of hair, she was elegant yet rough in appearance, like a rugged royal lady. Hermione suddenly thought of a Tolkien elf, timeless and wise, but with beautiful dark skin colors.

 

Her voice was mellifluous, sounding like a warm summer breeze, 'Hello, my child. May I come in?'

 

'It is always a pleasure, Mother,' said Lachesis. 'Come in, please. Tea? I know you are partial to some lemongrass.'

 

She sat down, answering, 'It would be lovely, thank you.'

 

Lachesis made tea preparations as she said, 'You know, we were planning a visit to you. You see, we have a new aspect.'

 

'That would explain the sounds in the Void,' said Nature.

 

'But not all of it, I'm afraid,' said Fate. 'Our brand new Clotho was there to harvest for new threads and Satan went there to harass the poor girl when she was completely alone.'

 

Mother Nature raised an eyebrow, 'Oh. That one can be truly annoying. I don't know why Mars keep him company.'

 

Lachesis served tea to the lady and offered, 'Why don't I let you introduce yourself to our new arrival? You can get to know each other. Meet our brand new Clotho.'

 

Hermione was brought to the body with some trepidation, and found herself facing Mother Nature. The girl blushed.

 

'Mother Nature, it's an honor.'

 

'Oh, child, you are so sweet,' she said. 'Welcome to our merry group of female incarnations.'

 

'Thank you,' said Hermione. 'Although I still feel I owe you a visit.'

 

'Please drop by any time you want. But now that I am here, tell me: how are you coping with being an Incarnation of Immortality?

 

'Everybody has been so nice so far,' said Hermione. 'Except for the Incarnation of Evil.'

 

'That is to be expected, I must admit. But I want you to feel free and tell me if there is anything that I can do to help you in any manner.' Mother Nature sipped some more tea and exclaimed, 'Lemongrass is indeed so delicious.'

 

'I quite agree,' smiled Hermione.

 

'Sorry I have to leave in such a hurry,' said the dark-skinned lady, standing up. 'But this was so lovely. I look forward to sharing another cuppa in my humble abode.'

 

Hermione said, 'I would be delighted, mother. It was so nice to meet you. I will take my leave of you now, for my sister Lachesis would like to say goodbye.'

 

'Of course, dear. And I greet you welcome once again.'

 

Hermione heard Lachesis (who always played host on the Abode of Fate) see Nature out with half an ear. So many things happened and changed that she still did not understand.

 

Little could she predict that they would change yet again quickly enough.

 

o0o 0o0 o0o 0o0

 

Severus went back to Spinner's End with a heavy heart. For hours he tried to figure a way out of his sentimental predicament, one that was acceptable to his honor and his heart.

 

He could find none.

 

It hurt him terribly that he had been lonely to his own sorrows while in the job. Death went to collect a few extremists' souls during a battle in the Middle East and there he met Mars, reveling in the heart of war.

 

Severus was told about the new Clotho, and Mars looked disappointed about the whole thing. He told Severus that the Incarnation of Time was extremely happy, proclaiming his love life had taken a turn for the better and that he never recalled having been this joyful or fulfilled in his whole life. Mars was sad because Chronos obviously was not inclined to share the new girlfriend. Severus was surprised about not fuming over the crude remark. He was too stunned for that. So he went home.

 

Once in Spinner's End, Severus let his rage loose and threw things around violently for quite some time. He hadn't done that in the last ten years at least. Were he still a wizard, he'd have cast a Muffliato spell to lower the noise. Alas, as a mere psychopomp, he had no way to muffle the sounds emanating from the ruins of Spinner's End, and they surely must have freaked out some passersby.

 

How _dare_ Mars talk about Hermione like that? Also, how dare Chronos be happy and fulfilled with _his_ Hermione? How could them betray him like that? And why, God, _why_ couldn't Severus be happy even _once_ in _any_ lifetime? It was quite unjust in his life made of so much injustices.

 

Many teacups died violently for the sake of Severus's unattainable happiness. He regretted that later. Tea with Lachesis were one of the few satisfying activities in his home, and now he would have to scrape some money to replace them. Without Dumbledore to help him, getting money had become a very difficult task.

 

Severus had just swept his kitchen floor of the debris when there was a knock on the door. Considering Spinner's End was concealed to Muggles and wizards alike, and that most incarnations liked to come in unannounced, Severus thought this was new.

 

He opened the door and raised an eyebrow. 'Gaia?'

 

'Hello, Thanatos. May I come in?'

 

'Please do.' He stepped aside to let her in. 'May I offer you something?'

 

The Incarnation of Nature looked worried. 'That is very kind of you, but this is not a social call. There are grave matters that I would like to discuss with you.'

 

'Please take a seat.'

 

She obeyed before explaining herself, 'You may have heard we have a new aspect of Fate.'

 

His face remained impeccable. 'As a matter of fact, I have been to Abode of Fate and met the new aspect. The exchange was quite sudden, wasn't it?'

 

Nature nodded. 'It would seem so, yes. Did they tell you anything about it?'

 

Severus was sincere. 'Even if they wanted, there was no chance. Satan was there, pestering the spinners. It was most unfortunate that I was unable to bid my friend farewell.'

 

'Yes, that is right,' agreed Gaia. 'There was even some saucy rumors about you and old Clotho.'

 

With a bit of indignation, Severus protested, 'I would never. She was Chronos's girlfriend and I respect both of them not to jeopardize their relationship.'

 

'And New Clotho?'

 

He maintained a lofty attitude. 'According to Mars, Chronos has also hit it off with the new aspect. Isn't he fortunate?'

 

'It is my opinion Chronos hasn't much choice in his love life due to his circumstances. But that is not the reason I came. You said you went to the Abode and Satan was there.'

 

'Correct,' said Severus.

 

'And do you know what was he doing there?'

 

Severus snorted, 'That was no social call, let me tell you. He seemed to be very upset when I appeared. Fate said he was there to convince young Clotho to quit his job and go live with him as his protégé.'

 

Nature frowned. 'Was that so?'

 

'The Evil One made it sound as if all male incarnations were on the prowl to molest her at all times.'

 

The dark-skinned lady was not impressed. 'Those were his words, but what were his intentions?'

 

'He most definitely has a reason to insist on keeping Clotho away from the job.'

 

'There have been rumors,' said Gaia grimly. 'But no one can tell for sure. It would seem that Satan has spies inside Purgatory. They might have told him that new Clotho would foil his plans in the future, so he wants to prevent her from doing so.'

 

Severus felt some dark foreboding feeling inside, but all he said was, 'That makes sense. Did you talk to Chronos?'

 

'I know better than that. He would never confirm it as it would break his oath. But it is clear Satan is up to something.'

 

'When is he not?' dismissed Severus.

 

Nature sighed, 'Thanatos, you can trust me. I know you have feelings for our new Aspect of Fate.' Severus jerked, caught completely by surprise, and she continued. 'Don't bother denying it. I am Nature. I keep an eye on my children. So, although I intend to alert all incarnations about Satan's plans towards Clotho, I am especially counting on _you_ to keep her safe.'

 

Severus was still under the impact. 'But how -'

 

Gaia said, 'One of the minor incarnations alerted me a long time ago. Aphrodite, you know.'

 

Ah, thought Severus, with a sigh. Aloud, all he said was, 'What would you think mortals would do if they realized Love is a minor incarnation?'

 

'My hope would be that they would stop giving it so much time of their lives,' confessed Gaia. 'But don't change the subject. Satan is up to something, and it involves the woman you love. Will you help me?'

 

Severus's watch began to blink and he answered, 'Of course I will. Now, unfortunately, I have a client.'

 

'Yes, yes, my friend, you go now. And don't worry. Let Nature run her course.'

 

Severus tilted his head politely, but his heart was heavy. Hermione might be in grave danger because of Satan. What could that Evil One be plotting?

 

o0o 0o0 o0o 0o0

 

On many occasions, Chronos approached Severus for a talk, but the Incarnation of Death was in no mood to listen to his colleague brag about his perfect and annoyingly happy love life. Mars had already painted a picture clear enough so that Severus knew what was coming. He wondered how long could he avoid the other.

 

Damn it. Chronos was a good friend. And as a friend, Severus should be glad for him. But how could he?

 

Maybe with a bit of time.

 

Severus had forgotten, though, that time was precisely Chronos's occupation.

 

'You are avoiding me, Thanatos.'

 

Severus tried to explain. 'I am sorry to have given that impression. It is just -'

 

'There is no need to excuses, because I think I know why you are avoiding me,' said Time. 'I came here to relieve you of any ill-feelings you may harbor towards my sentimental life. For I believe you have been misinformed. Do not believe everything you hear.'

 

Severus frowned. ‘May you enlighten me what are you talking about?'

 

'You may have heard I am happy in love with a new lover, and it is true. You may also have heard my lover is one of the aspects of Fate, which is also true.' Severus felt an invisible hand squeezing his heart. Chronos went on, 'You may have been under the misapprehension that this lover is young Clotho, and I can guarantee that this is not true, my friend.'

 

Severus looked at Chronos and saw that he was smiling. His friend was not joking.

 

'Not true?'

 

He nodded, still smiling, 'Not true.'

 

'But -'

 

'Fate has a total of three aspects,' reminded Chronos gently. 'And one of them was secretly in love with me for awhile. I was a fool for not seeing it.'

 

It was still hard to believe it.  'And this aspect was not -'

 

'Not the one you love, my friend,' reassured the Incarnation of Time now with a wide smile. 'We decided to maintain the facade of Clotho being my lover in order to fend off other suitors. It still is a secret, by the way. We would appreciate it if you keep it that way.'

 

Severus could hardly believe it. He could pursue his Hermione without betraying his friendship! It was almost too good to be true. And it was supposed to be a secret.

 

'You can count on me about keeping it under wraps,' Severus said sincerely. 'Perhaps it can fend off Satan.'

 

Chronos frowned. 'About that... Have you seen Gaia lately?'

 

Severus's interest was piqued. 'She came to see you, too?'

 

'Was it about the Evil One?' asked Chronos. 'It seems Mother Nature is on a mission.'

 

Severus said, 'She is adamant on finding out his plans about Fate.'

 

'I could not confirm anything specific, of course,' said the Incarnation of Time, 'but she is sure he is after Clotho. That was why I needed to talk to you. No one is better qualified to keep an eye on Old Nick before he can trick the young lady.'

 

'It would be a lot easier if we knew what he is up to,' said Severus nonchalantly. ‘It is clear his plans are on the future.’

 

Chronos readily adverted, 'You know better than trying to make me betray the oath of my office, Severus. If I didn't know you were defending your beloved, I would be very disappointed in you.'

 

'It was worth a shot,' said Severus unrepentantly. He didn't even looked sheepish. Chronos let out a roar of laughter.

 

'I always knew Death wouldn't disappoint me,' he said.

 

Precisely at this moment, Severus's watch began blinking, indicating a client was about to pass on. Both incarnations looked at each other for a second, knowing the meeting would soon be over.

 

Time broke the silence, 'Are we cool, then?'

 

Contrary to his rigid education and self-imposed discipline, Severus said, feeling quite relaxed, 'Yes. We're cool.'

 

And he proceeded to Fate's Abode as soon as he could.

 

o0o 0o0 o0o 0o0

 

There was an expected trepidation as Severus knocked on the Abode. All his insecurities preyed on him. If the relationship between Hermione and Chronos was only for show, then why didn't she say so the last time he was there and he showed an interest on her? Maybe she just didn't want a relationship with _him_.

 

Great, Severus, he thought grimly. Not even dead does the girl want anything with you.

 

Then the door opened, and Lachesis smiled at him. 'Severus! That is a friendly face! Come on in.'

 

He did so, asking, 'Is this a good time? I hope I am not interrupting anything.'

 

'At the most, just some not remotely urgent weaving. Have a seat,' she reassured. 'What took you so long to stop by? We were starting to think we had offended you some how.'

 

Severus sat, 'Of course there was no offense, but I can't deny a slight yet very understandable misunderstanding.'

 

Lachesis's reaction was brief. 'Oh?'

 

'I was pleasantly surprised to hear my old friend Hermione was now an aspect of Fate, and I looked forward to rekindle our friendship.'

 

Lachesis offered friendly, 'I am sure the feeling is reciprocated.'

 

'And so I thought until I had word of her romantic relationship with my dear friend Chronos. I was most horrified to be the cause of dissention between the couple so I kept my distance.'

 

Severus saw the clear play of emotions over the middle aged lady: first dismiss then concern. She surely wanted to reassure the Incarnation of Death that his beloved was not romantically involved with Chronos, but then realized that she could not tell the truth, because the ruse was a means to protect Hermione. Poor Lachesis looked horrified.

 

Severus ended her misery. 'It was a while before he finally had a chance to explain things properly. That was very clever of you, this facade.'

 

She looked extremely relieved. 'He explained it to you?'

 

'Yes, he did indeed. Otherwise I would not be here,' he guaranteed. 'I am not in the habit of visiting other men's lovers.'

 

She sported a huge smile. 'Always an old-fashioned gentleman, aren't you, my friend?'

 

'Helps me sleep easier', he shrugged. 'So, er, is Hermione home?'

 

Lachesis threw her head back before letting out a soft, quiet laugh. 'Considering how we share the same body, I'd have to say yes, she is home, Severus.'

 

He interrupted her, 'But before you go may I offer you my sincere congratulations? Chronos looks extremely happy, and you are positively glowing, my dear.'

 

She smiled softly, 'Thank you very much, Severus. I will let you talk to Hermione now.'

 

And before Severus could be psychologically ready, Hermione appeared before him, more beautiful than ever.


	18. Immortal beloved

##  **Chapter 18 – Immortal beloved**

 

'Hello, Severus.'

 

Hermione's smile never looked lovelier, her graceful features totally endearing. Severus struggled to keep his voice steady. 'Hello, Hermione.'

 

'I see all misunderstandings are finally cleared. I am glad.'

 

'So am I. Chronos was adamant there was nothing going on between you two. I would not have come otherwise.'

 

'I missed you,' she said, still smiling. 'You are the only friend I have from... before.'

 

Severus confessed, 'I still feel bad for lying to you, by the way. But clearly there was no other way. Besides, we Incarnations are not supposed to mingle with mortals.'

 

'It sounds bigotry, but I can see the reason now.'

 

He changed the subject, 'Has Satan pestered you again?'

 

'Actually, no. I believe the little ruse worked.'

 

His voice became serious. 'Hermione, listen to me. If he does, you tell me immediately, you hear?'

 

Although Severus could see Hermione was calm, it was also clear that she was not taking the situation lightly, 'Do you know what is going on? Mother Nature looked quite worried.'

 

Severus said, 'All Incarnations are on the lookout for Satan's machinations, but no one knows for sure what he is up to. We cannot assume that he has abandoned any plans for you. That is the reason you must alert about any attempt of his.'

 

Her big brown eyes stared him and she reassured him, 'I will, Severus.' Then she cocked her head and frowned. 'Do you mind if I keep calling you Severus? Technically it is no longer your name, so I am not sure if - '

 

When she didn't finish the sentence, Severus jumped in and guaranteed, 'I don't mind. Actually, I prefer to be called by my last mortal name. Likewise, do you mind if I call you a name other than Clotho?'

 

'Please do. I really don't think of myself as any one but Hermione.'

 

'And as a widow, as well?'

 

Her eyes went wide. Severus wondered if he mentioned the sore subject of the dead husband too soon. He tried to correct it, 'I shouldn't have - I am so sorry -'

 

Hermione raised a hand, 'No, it is fine. It's just that I haven't thought about Ron for a few days and - ' She looked surprised. 'It shocked me, because before all of this happened, I couldn't think about anything other than Ron.'

 

Severus could feel his heart wrenching, as he realized she must be feeling guilty for not being a proper widow who had lost her beloved husband. Always a gentleman, he politely observed, 'One could never expect to move on so quickly after such a tragic loss.'

 

Hermione looked at him, a bit awed, and nodded. 'Indeed. Yet all I can think right now is that I desperately want to kiss you.'

 

And she proceeded to do just that, meanwhile Severus was having a hard time deciding whether to panic, to be deliriously joyful or to have a proper massive heart attack. His inaction was interpreted as a green sign by Hermione and she wasted no time snogging him silly.

 

o0o 0o0 o0o 0o0

 

There was a deafening and celebratory silence of the other two aspects of Fate as the two Incarnations finally acted on their long-suppressed emotions and became a couple. Atropos was high-fiving Lachesis and both sisters sported huge grins as they had privileged seats to witness a beautiful happy ending.

 

Or maybe it was a beginning. Who could tell?

 

o0o 0o0 o0o 0o0 o0o

 

Floored was a good definition for Severus's reaction to being thoroughly kissed by the object of his affections, Hermione Granger, formerly Hermione Weasley. His surprise, however, didn't prevent his appreciation of her thin lips and her pleasant scents. There was a noisy rush of blood in his ears and a gleam of excitement in her eyes when he stared into them, as soon as their lips parted. She had a sheepish smile, he gaped at her.

 

'I hope I haven't scared you,' she said.

 

Severus still had trouble controlling his heart rate. 'Er...'

 

Her smile faltered. In seconds she was horrified. 'Oh no, was this too much? Have I misread this? I am so sorry if you didn't want this.'

 

He held both her hands and said, 'No, no, you didn't misread anything. You just - took me by surprise.'

 

Hermione was a bit scared herself. 'I didn't mean to shock you.'

 

He kissed both her hands. 'It was a nice, unexpected shock. I had no idea you would be open to this.'

 

She shrugged. 'It was not hard to make up my mind. I've always known Ron would want me to rebuild my life. Although being immortal was not the plan at all, I won't complain about that, either.'

 

Severus raised an eyebrow and confessed, 'You did not strike me as being so adventurous before.'

 

She laughed quietly, a positively gorgeous sound. 'Oh, really? Being on the lam as well as fighting a Dark Lord in the wizarding world is not adventurous enough for you?'

 

He recalled, 'As far as I know, you went into that fight with a thorough understanding, preparations and forethought of all possible needs.'

 

She sighed, 'And we still almost did not make it.'

 

'I know. I was there,' reminded Severus gravely, his heart aching. 'It would have been painful to watch you die.'

 

Hermione said, 'You became quite a respected Incarnation after the Battle of Hogwarts. I never knew that.'

 

'You were mortal, then. Mortals are not supposed to know about these things. It's quite understandable.'

 

Hermione smiled. 'Severus, are you OK with this? I mean, with - us? I heard you didn't want to offend your friend Chronos because of me.'

 

'That is quite true,' admitted Severus, 'however, that turned out to be a misapprehension. Although I suggest we keep this new development a secret from the others, lest we alert the Evil One.'

 

'I think the secrecy would be wise.' She smiled sweetly at him, before laughing out loud. 'This is very odd. I mean, here we are, both of us immortals, in a secret and clandestine romance, trading memories of our time as mortals. Actually, it borders on bizarre.'

 

'True,' he agreed with a smirk. 'Do you believe you can handle it?'

 

She invaded his personal space, and her smile turned devious. 'I believe I do, but you know I am the adventurous one.'

 

And for the first time in a long, long time, Severus Snape gave a genuine and heartfelt smile.

 

o0o 0o0 o0o 0o0

 

Romancing an Incarnation of Immortality proved trickier than expected. Severus's schedule as Death was literally unpredictable and Hermione also had duties - either as Lachesis or Clotho, since they shared a body. And also, the same body had to arrange some time also with Chronos, so he and Lachesis could see each other.

 

'And how are we going to do this?' Chronos asked.

 

'We must keep appearances at all costs,' said Lachesis.

 

'Obviously,' piped up Severus.

 

'I can't see how. I want to see my beloved, yet old Clotho used to come to my home. But if Lachesis does that, Severus has to come here to see New Clotho. And that would raise suspicions.'

 

'How's that so?' frowned Severus.

 

'Come on, mate' said Chronos. 'I love you like a dear friend, but everyone knows that you love that quaint little house of yours, and that you rarely come out. Hence, the suspicions.'

 

Severus's frowned deepened, and Lachesis had to concede. 'He is right, old friend. You are a loner, and our New Clotho has weeded you out of your safe cozy little home.'

 

The Incarnation of Death tried hard not to blush. Chronos offered, 'And that may be the solution to our dilemma. Death hardly leaves his home anyway. Why should he stop doing so?'

 

'What do you mean, dear?'

 

'I mean,' said Time, 'that Fate and Death have been known as good friends. Fate visits him frequently, don't you, my beloved?'

 

Lachesis said, 'How else was I to see my friend? He hardly ever leaves the house.'

 

'Exactly!' exclaimed Chronos. 'Why should that change? Should Lachesis continue to come to the house, that would raise no suspicion.'

 

Severus's eyebrow shot up as he realized the implications. 'Lachesis enters and Hermione stays, is that what you're saying?'

 

'Now you see what I mean,' the old man man smiled.

 

Severus felt he needed to say, 'It is a good ruse, but some might believe there's more to these visits than mere tea and biscuits.'

 

Lachesis jumped, 'And they wouldn't be wrong. At least not _too_ wrong...'

 

Chronos smiled in a devious way. 'Buttercup! Are you implying we let people think you are having an affair with Thanatos the same way we fake my relationship to Clotho?'

 

'Why not?' she said smugly. 'I still say technically it's not a lie, for Fate is indeed romantically involved with Death.'

 

Severus observed, 'That is brilliant. Sounds even Shakespearean, I might add.'

 

Chronos added, 'Actually, if memory serves, it is the plot of an opera, written by an exceedingly talented and funny man I met sometime ago. Or will I meet him in the future?'

 

Lachesis smiled. 'Don't you fret, beloved. The important thing is everything will be fine now. This solves everything!'

 

The arrangement was immediately put in place. Mother Nature came for tea and made comments on Lachesis's new object of affection. The chain of events was in motion almost at once: Nature told Mars and he, surely as the sun came up, mentioned it to his good old pal Satan. In a few days, there was a visit on Spinner's End.

 

'Death, my homie!'

 

Severus was not amused. 'I wish you would refrain from calling me that.'

 

The man in a red suit dismissed, 'Nah, pal. That is not going to happen. So, word's around that you landed yourself a fucktoy. You dog!'

 

'Excuse me?'

 

'No need to be shy, mate. And I am not judging you, sir. No, not me. Besides, who am I to judge if you wanted a consolation prize, now that the Scrumptious One is out of reach. That obnoxious Chronos is so greedy! But never mind that. So, tell me: how is the old prune? Lachesis never struck me as much worth in the sack, but sometimes these are the naughtiest, aren't they? I mean, they are _experienced!"_

 

Death never batted an eye. 'I refuse to address any of these subjects. It's none of your concern.'

 

Satan shook his head, 'You see, but I am concerned. Very clever of you. There are perks I had not considered in this situation, my friend. The lady should miss these activities; therefore you must attend to her needs, and she surely must be quite impatient. Also, not only is she skilled on the arts of lovemaking, but also she should probably be grateful for the services you provide. Talk about an edge! You may be a very, _very_ lucky man, my friend.'

 

'I said I would not discuss it with you or anyone.'

 

'I know. You are very old school. But I respect that. You probably want to preserve the lady. So chivalrous. Admirable, even.'

 

Severus sighed in a tiresome matter, 'Very well, then. If there is anything else...'

 

'No, I just came to congratulate you, Mr. Sly Guy. But I ask you to indulge me in a tiny thing, please. Just tell me - about you.'

 

'Me?'

 

Satan's voice became softer and much more friendly as he asked, 'Are you happy? Is the lady making you happy?'

 

It was a trick. Severus could spot it a million miles away, so he treaded carefully. He also made his voice softer to answer, 'All I can say is that this is none of your business.'

 

Satan threw his head back and let out a hearty laugh, before observing, 'You are a  funny one, and very cunning. It will be a delight to finally have you on my domain.'

 

That was enough to remind Severus why were they doing all that. A white fury came inside him just thinking about this dangerous creature harassing his Hermione. So his answer lost all gentleness and warmth in his heart and he snarled, 'You wish.'

 

'And there it is: the hatred, pure and sincere, just as I like it,' pointed Satan quite happy with himself. 'Now that my work here is done, I shall take my leave. Don't worry, I will show myself out. See you later!'

 

Severus admitted he fumed for quite some time even after The Evil One had left.

 

He told the other incarnations about that.

 

'It just comes to show that he is dangerous,' pointed out Chronos.

 

'And that he is not one to give up easily on the things he's after,' said Lachesis.

 

'I will do everything I can to protect Hermione,' vouched the Incarnation of Death.

 

Lachesis turned to him, smiling. 'She knows, my friend.'

 

And that warmed Severus's heart more than he cared to admit out loud.

 

o0o 0o0 o0o 0o0 o0o

 

'Are you all right, Hermione?'

 

They were at Spinner's End, as it had been established. Severus had arranged a few things around the house, making it cozier, more comfortable for his visiting lover. In bed, the after sex talk was a luxury they couldn't always indulge. That was a rare moment.

 

Hermione smiled sadly, cuddling up to him. 'You really know me well.'

 

'Anything happened?'

 

'I went to see her yesterday.'

 

'Rose? Your daughter?'

 

She nodded. 'She has grown so much. Does time passes more quickly than it does when we are mortals?'

 

'No, time is the same even though Chronos change. It's our perception that changes. I lived only a little more than twenty years, and twenty more have passed since, yet it feels like no more than six.'

 

Hermione still had her mind away. 'I feel so strange watching her like that. I am her mother but she has a mother that is not me.'

 

Severus kissed her hair. 'I wish I could help you. But to this day I have trouble recognizing what we are. Because we are not mortals yet we die. We are not eternal yet we live without ageing. We are at the fringe of existence.'

 

'But we love,' she said and kissed him briefly. 'And we eat. And we sleep and drink and feel.'

 

'Incarnations of Immortality, they call us,' he recalled, sighing. 'There could be a better way to deal with it.'

 

Hermione shrugged. 'Perhaps what we have now is as good as it gets. And it is not so bad, let's face it.'

 

'True,' he admitted. 'Which begs the question, does having sex with me turns you into a maudlin creature?'

 

'Of course not!' she rushed to reassure him. 'These are my unresolved issues as a mother speaking. I hope they won't weight too heavily on my soul in my judgment day.'

 

'I believe you can redeem yourself for that during your time in the office. You should be glad you have the chance. I know I will not be granted any reprieve.'

 

'How can you be so sure?'

 

'Lucifer tells me it is a matter of time, and this time I believe he is right. I killed a man (Death) and attempted against my own life, not to mention the deeds during my Death Eater days. I would need two lifetimes to make up for all of it.'

 

'I am new at this, but the other incarnations say you are an exemplary Death. So you should cut yourself some slack.'

 

Severus smiled and drew her closer. 'It is a nice dream to have: an eternity by your side...'

 

'An eternity is a long time,' she said in a falsely innocent voice. 'Whatever could we do to pass such a long time?'

 

He licked her ear and whispered sexily, 'I am sure we will be able to think of something...'

 

And all maudlin thoughts were cast aside.

 


	19. And even the best laid out plans…

##  **Chapter 19 – And even the best laid out plans…  
**

 

 

It took them a few weeks and a fertile imagination, but the two couples figured it would be easier to arrange double dates. Smaller events would raise suspicions, as two men with a single woman would do. But they did well mingling with large crowds.

 

After a few months, they decided to travel a bit with Chronos’ hourglass. So, they went to a ball offered by Italian nobility in the 17th century. The event was a masquerade ball, and Hermione/Lachesis went as a Greek goddess. Chronos opted for a classical Venetian mask, and Severus was dressed as a Pest Doctor. Mort went as a pale, moody horse kept near the carriages. In the crowd, it was easy for the women to exchange the body to attend their correct partner. That night, Lachesis was the lucky girl, since Severus was called on duty. Hermione eventually danced with Chronos, who gentlemanly asked her to compensate Severus's absence. Lachesis had no objections, and they danced for quite some time.

 

A few days later, there came a visit to the Abode. Lachesis opened the door and received a very insincere smile from a familiar gentleman in a red suit. 'Hello, old gal.'

 

'Satan,' she greeted in surprise. 'To what do I owe the pleasure?'

 

'There has been quite a buzz in the rumour mill. May I come in?'

 

She granted him passage, sensing suspicions from the other two aspects. 'Would you like some tea?'

 

'No need. I just wanted to make a few things clear.'

 

'Such as?'

 

Satan wasted no time. 'Are you cheating on your boyfriend behind his back?'

 

'What?!'

 

'Don't bother denying it. One of my minions saw you in a very cozy little dance with Chronos at a masquerade ball. And you tried to hide the affair in the 17th century! Are you going to deny it?'

 

'Of course I deny your accusations. I was dancing with Chronos, yes. But we were not hiding-'

 

He interrupted Fate, 'You slut! Dancing with another woman's man meanwhile your own lover tended to his duties! Shame on you!'

 

'It was just a _dance_. Chronos invited me to because he is a gentleman, and, besides, Clotho was right there. We were on a double date. He saw Severus leave, they are good friends, and he offered me a dance. Why should I have said no?'

 

'Have you no sense of decency? You are an adulteress!'

 

'That is not true. But even if it were, why are you making such a big deal? We are adults, and if there was consent, it was our own free will. I thought you would be the first one to condone such behavior.'

 

'It is going to make Clotho sad. Why would you want to hurt her feelings?'

 

'I am going to tell you one more time: she was _there_. And it was just a dance. Anyway, it is none of your business.'

 

'Yes, it is my business. Chronos has proven himself unworthy of the Scrumptious One! I believe it is time we rescue her from his cheating and his lies!'

 

'Believe me: I am not cheating anyone and neither is Chronos. Go talk to him. I think Chronos is very happy with his lover. Clotho is very pleased with her lover, I believe Severus is very pleased with his lover and so am I. So don't you meddle in our affairs.'

 

Satan frowned and said, threatingly, 'Now you listen to me, you old prune. I am the Father of Lies, so I smell deceit millions of miles away. There is something fishy going on here, and I am going to find out what it is!'

 

Without waiting for an answer, the Incarnation of Evil left, leaving a foul cloud of sulfur on his wake. Lachesis tried to play it cool even though she was alarmed by Satan's visit. Hermione, however, was very close to panicking. So they called for a meeting at Time's home.

 

Lachesis cooked.

 

'But do you believe he knows?' asked Chronos.

 

'I don't think so,' said Lachesis reassuringly. 'He certainly suspects something, but he is not sure. So he threw some bait in the water to see if I would bite it.'

 

Severus frowned. 'Satan is not stupid. He knows Fate has three aspects and they share one body. How can you commit adultery in such circumstances?'

 

Lachesis held Chronos's hand and asked, 'Beloved, Hermione is quite upset, so I will step down for a while, all right?'

 

The Incarnation of Time smiled and kissed her hand, 'Of course, my sunshine.'

 

Lachesis smiled at him and withdrew her hand before allowing the younger aspect to take over the body. Hermione seemed pretty shaken as she looked at Severus. He sensed her distress and came closer. 'Are you all right, Hermione?'

 

She answered shakily, 'I am not sure. You should have seen him. He was so aggressive.'

 

Chronos reassured, 'We are right here, dear. We will protect you.'

 

'But he is right in one thing,' Hermione recalled. 'He is the Father of Lies. How can we expect to fool him?'

 

Chronos shrugged. 'So far, we have. Fooled him, I mean. If he has done nothing other than threats, it's because he doesn't know what’s going on or he knows what is going on but hasn't found a way to do anything about it.'

 

Severus said, 'Perhaps we should do something, instead of waiting for him to act.'

 

'What are you suggesting?'

 

'That we come clean. And deal with the situation.'

 

'Do you think it would be wise?' asked Chronos.

 

The Incarnation of Death explained, 'The alternative is panicking every time Satan hints on interfering. I say, we get the secret out and protect Hermione from his advances. Of course, I surrender to her decision. She is the target, after all.'

 

Hermione confessed, 'I am quite scared, that's a fact. But I would also love to stop being so scared.'

 

Chronos shook his head in disbelief, 'I think this is extremely dangerous. I am sympathetic to your fears, Clotho, but this is quite risky.'

 

As Hermione was about to answer, she felt another aspect reaching for the body, so she warned, 'Someone is anxious to join in the conversation...'

 

She had barely finished saying so, when her body shimmered and old Atropos appeared. It was most unusual, since the aspect of Fate who cut the Thread of Life preferred to keep a low profile. Severus was as surprised as Chronos by the unexpected appearance.

 

'I am sorry to barge in like this,' she said, 'but I must speak up about this. I cannot hold my tongue. I know that you all mean well, but I think you underestimate the enemy.'

 

'Underestimate?' repeated Severus.

 

'Yes', she maintained vehemently. 'That creature is the Prince of Darkness, Father of All Lies, the Archfiend, the Adversary, the Most Foul, the Unholy One! Do you think such a collection of epithets is unmerited? That thing is _evil_ , and he is as evil as evil can be! Clotho is terrified of him, and with plenty of reason.'

 

'You suggest we keep up the farce? Even though he is already suspicious of something?' Severus was clearly vexed. 'I don't want Hermione at risk.'

 

Atropos reminded, 'It is no secret that Satan has his eyes on her, and he has been even before she became an incarnation. It seems he has something in mind for her and he has not given up. We still don't know what it is. Not knowing is our disadvantage.’

 

'Atropos has a point,' nodded Chronos. 'We don't know what he wants with Clotho.'

 

'Exactly!' she exclaimed. 'So telling him this secret is giving him the only advantage we have. Right now, we can catch him off guard.'

 

Severus was unconvinced. 'I still don't see how lying is to our advantage.'

 

'Sometimes the only advantage we have is not helping the enemy,' Atropos insisted. 'Do not underestimate the creature. He once was God's favorite, remember? He was a commander of angels, who has strategic thinking and planning.'

 

Chronos piped up, 'I totally agree with her. This is way too risky.'

 

Severus was not happy. 'I still don't see what he can do if he knows what we are doing behind his back.'

 

'He is still harassing her!' reminded the elder aspect of Fate. ‘He has been told to keep his distance, yet he harasses her!’

 

Chronos said, 'Besides, just because we can't see his options, does not mean he doesn't have any.'

 

Severus sulked, seeing their reasoning, but still reluctant to agree. Atropos told him, 'I understanding your frustration, and I also share your desire to see dear Clotho free from this menace. She is putting up a brave front, but the truth is that she is scared to the bones. Consider it all. He is after her, she is the _target_. We still don't know why. There is also the death of her husband, still unexplained. It should be a measure of how much a danger that creature is. I say that giving that creature any leeway is dicey, to say the least.'

 

Atropos had no idea how wise her words were.

 

o0o 0o0 o0o 0o0 o0o

 

After the meeting of what was later called The Situation Committee, the four lovers exercised higher levels of caution. They left nothing to chance and became even more discreet in their outings. Hermione felt her anxiety levels reducing and relaxed a bit, enjoying sex in ways Severus seemed to enjoy. He was exceedingly talented, but not experienced. Their moments together were quite cherished.

 

Other than that, life went on as usual to the Incarnations of Immortality. Hermione and the other aspects of Fate went about their business, taking care of the lives of mortals as were their duties.

 

So, Hermione was at the Void, gathering the beautiful material used to make the threads of mortal life, as she did every now and then. That was her duty as and Aspect of Fate: to gather the raw materials in the Void, near the Source of Life, and then spin them. She gathered her staff and was about to return to the abode when she saw a familiar figure coming.

 

Hermione was very surprised. 'What are you doing here?'

 

Death shrugged. 'I figured we could use some privacy.'

 

'This is such a surprise,' she said. 'I didn't even know you could come in this place. Not every incarnation can.'

 

Severus seemed a bit playful, instead of his usual sober demeanor. 'Today I decided to set myself to try new things and surprise my beautiful, young lover. So I won't be my usual self.'

 

'I can see that.'

 

He sported a definitely naughty smirk. 'How about we do something we have never done here?'

 

'Like what?'

 

'Like make outrageous sex here and now.'

 

Hermione’s eyes went wide. 'It is so scandalous, so clandestine! So unlike you,' she observed, surprised.

 

'If we are having a torrid, secret love affair, isn't this the best place for a romantic tryst? It's secluded, quiet, discreet...'

 

She frowned. 'This is the sacred fountain of life. Are you sure this is the best place for that? Are there any rules against doing this here?'

 

He shrugged once more. 'The Incarnation of Death wouldn't know about. But if my grand romantic gesture offends you, we can forget about it. I don’t want to upset you, dear...'

 

Hermione smiled. 'Of course not, my love. Come, let's find an even more secluded place.'

 

She put the skein safely on the ground and led him to a margin of the River of Life, where they had vigorous sex. Hermione felt Severus was indeed trying different things, for sex with him had never been like that before.

 

In previous encounters, he had always been tender and quite attentive to her needs. Now, however, he was rough and assertive. Not exactly violent, but more physical than usual. He was clearly self-involved.

 

That was new. When they finished, Hermione said so.

 

His reaction was to raise an eyebrow. 'Am I to infer you found our lovemaking is unsatisfactory?'

 

'That is not what I said,' she reassured him, as they redressed.

 

He then smirked in the most obnoxious manner, 'If you are to betray a fellow incarnation, you at least should get some satisfaction out of it. Risking the friendship like that...'

 

She frowned. 'What are you talking about?'

 

'Chronos, of course. He is not a bad guy, after all. Betrayal will hit hard on him, but he should expect it somehow, right? I mean, come on: an old geezer ought to know a scrumptious little kitten like you needs to be satisfied. And I certainly could do with some fresh meat instead the old lady I am currently dating.'

 

Something inside Hermione froze as alarm bells rang interiorly. She sensed something very, very wrong. Or maybe everything was wrong.

 

But before she could say anything, Death went on, 'Anyway, the deed is done. We will have to face the consequences of our deceit. And there is also Satan to consider. He is a smart guy. He will figure it out eventually.'

 

Hermione practically snarled, 'Perhaps. But he will never be victorious.'

 

'That, my dear, remains to be seen.' He got up and exclaimed, 'Oh, fuck. I got a stiff coming.'

 

'A what?'

 

'A stiff,' he repeated. 'You know, a corpse, a dead, a deceased, a demised. This is what I do.'

 

Hermione was in the verge of panic, as he just waved. 'So, my dear. I am sure you and I will be engaging in more interesting activities soon enough. Bye-bye!'

 

He left without waiting for an answer, and Hermione began to shake all over, a sense of deep dread threatening to overcome her whole being. Tears of sheer horror began to fall down her cheeks. Her sisters aspects were still asleep, for Lachesis and Atropos were unable to manifest themselves in the Void. Hermione felt utterly alone and vulnerable.

 

One of the things that were most attractive about Severus was the way he was utterly respectful with everything and everyone. He certainly never used foul language – not even when terribly upset. He respected Hermione in every way, from her body to her feelings and he very much included her sister aspects. He also had the most profound respect for the people whose souls he was about to harvest, and always called them “clients”. Severus never referred to them in a deprecatory manner, as he had just done.

 

This was just not like him. Not like him at all.

 

What if-

 

What if this was not Severus?

 

That meant one and only thing, she realized, her terror only piling up.

 

Hermione began sobbing, her chest aching as if on fire. And then she screamed. And she screamed again, weeping in desperation. In the Void, her cries echoed throughout the nothingness, travelling around the strange and unchartered dimensions of the astral plane behind Purgatory.

 

Then someone came. Another familiar person.

 

'Oh, my child’, said a gentle voice. ‘What in the name of nature have you done?'

 

Mother Nature stared at Hermione and she looked utterly displeased.

 


	20. How do you solve a problem like Satan

##  **Chapter 20 – How do you solve a problem like Satan**

 

For a few hours, Hermione was unable to fully understand what was going on. She let herself be led out of the Void, and her sister aspects were horrified at what had passed. By then, Mother Nature, who had found her in a state of shock, brought her to her home in the middle of a green wood such as Hermione had never seen before. Too bad Hermione didn't notice much of all that beauty.

 

She was still in shock.

 

'Sweetie,' coaxed Mother Nature, 'I can't help you if you don't talk to me.'

 

Lachesis took over the body and asked, 'Mother, please. Can we have a few minutes? We don't fully understand what happened ourselves.'

 

'Would you like me to get Chronos?'

 

'And Thanatos as well, please, Mother. Thank you so much.'

 

As Mother Nature went out to fetch the other incarnations, the three aspects of Fate engrossed in deep conversation. Internally, of course.

 

Guys, I missed you so much, said Hermione shakily. I have never missed you this much.

 

Tell us what happened, asked Atropos.

 

I think Satan attacked me, she answered. I am almost sure it was him.

 

How come you are not sure about it?

 

Because he used Severus's appearance, she said. He tried to imitate him, and I regret to say he fooled me almost until the end.

 

What gave him away?, asked Atropos.

 

At first, it was the disrespect for his office, the mocking ways, said Hermione. Then he tried to trick me into admitting I was cheating on Chronos.

 

I hate to say it, lamented Atropos, but I was afraid he might try something like this. That prick!

 

Lachesis said, Clotho, I know this is hard, but you need to tell us everything. And then we will help you tell the others. Where is the distaff?

 

Right here, said Hermione. It is unharmed. Why do you ask?

 

Because I can feel it is important, was all she said.

 

o0o 0o0 o0o 0o0 o0o

 

At first, there was a great deal of confusion among the incarnations gathered at Mother Nature's living room. Not only was Fate distraught, but the hostess herself looked disturbed. The male incarnations were at a loss at first.

 

Hermione began to unravel her misfortune. Lachesis wanted to take the body, but Hermione asked to be physically present, so she could hold Severus and be comforted after the insidious attack.

 

Mars, Gaia's lover, was the most confused of them all. 'So the four of you are lovers, just not the couples we thought?'

 

Severus sighed. The Incarnation of War was notoriously thick in matters of thought. Still, he answered patiently, 'Correct. We had to resort to secrecy because of Satan's insistence in harassing Fate.'

 

Hermione said, 'He chose to attack me when I was totally alone. My sister aspects go dormant in the Void.'

 

Gaia lamented, 'You poor thing, you didn't have your sisters with you.'

 

'That was his plan all along,' agreed Hermione. 'I saw Severus, and my guard was down.'

 

'Because you love him so much, and it didn't occur to you that Death is not allowed to enter the fountain of life,' added Mother Nature. 'Thanatos could have never been there in the first place.'

 

War was still confused, 'But you didn't notice anything amiss?'

 

Hermione wiped the tears and answered, 'Not at first, because he said he wanted to try new things, spice up our relationship.'

 

Chronos was gritting his teeth when he said, 'So he had warned you that he might be different, the bastard.'

 

Hermione said, 'That is why I only became suspicious when he said something about betraying Chronos, and that he had an old woman as a lover, and how they should expect to be cheated. But I became sure when he disrespected the office, calling dying people bad names and implying they were losers. Severus would never say such things.'

 

They exchanged smiles and held hands, in a reassuring gesture. Mother Nature, however, was not amused.

 

'Please answer this,' she asked. 'Did both of you engage in intercourse?'

 

Hermione looked vexed beyond belief. 'Unfortunately, yes, I'm afraid. I was totally deceived.'

 

'Oh no,' paled the Incarnation of Nature, who looked as distraught as Hermione. 'This means he won. By my grass, he got a mighty victory.'

 

Hermione and Severus frowned, Chronos raised an eyebrow and Mars swore heavily. Severus asked, 'Is it possible?'

 

Dejectedly, Gaia said, 'It is a mortal sin to conspurcate the Fountain of Life. Hermione damned her soul to Hell.'

 

A wave of sheer shock passed through the room. Hermione cried, 'No!'

 

Severus bit his lip, otherwise he might have shouted an expletive.

 

'But she didn't know!' Chronos cried. 'She is innocent!'

 

'A sin was committed,' maintained Gaia. 'The most evil aspect of this is that she might have never realized that until it was time for the tally of her soul. Satan would let her believe her soul was pure until it was time to drag her to Hell.'

 

War asked, 'Could he do that now?'

 

Gaia shook her head, 'He cannot take possession of a soul before the subject's death.'

 

Chronos exclaimed, 'It could have been years before she realized it! Centuries, even!'

 

Severus was having none of it. 'But now we know what is going on, so we must act. What can we do?'

 

Mother Nature was quite despondent, 'I am afraid there is not much we can do.'

 

'No!' said Hermione. 'There must be something we can do! I was tricked! It cannot be valid in case of deception, right?'

 

Gaia asked, 'Tell me, my dear, and don't lie: did he force you to do anything you didn't want?'

 

'No, but I didn't want to do that with him!'

 

'I understand, but if the man was your real lover, would you deny him the pleasure?'

 

'No, but -'

 

'There you go. The Fountain would have been sullied anyway. You would have committed the sin. The deception is germane to the point.'

 

Hermione was on the verge of total panic. Severus asked, 'Is there anyone we can appeal? Some sort of authority or court to settle this kind of dispute?'

 

Chronos shrugged, 'There is always Purgatory. There hasn’t been a complaint as such in quite some time. And although I am sympathetic to your problem I cannot see how there is much of a case.'

 

The aspects of Fate were hopeful, and Hermione said so. 'Purgatory may be the way, says Lachesis. She tells me about a Soul Tribunal.'

 

'I never heard of that,' said Severus. 'But Chronos says it is quite unusual to appeal.'

 

'That is the proper channel, as far as I know,' confirmed the Incarnation of Time. 'You can present a complaint, but the process won't be secret. Satan would know.'

 

'I don't mind,' quipped the younger aspect of Fate. 'I want to see him pay.'

 

War said, 'This is totally unheard of. A Soul Tribunal is called to decide upon the fate of mortal souls. To judge the fate of an Incarnation of Immortality is a new one.'

 

'Then we may stand a chance,' said Chronos. 'Satan is about the face some real challenge!'

 

Hermione asked, 'Can we research about it anywhere? Where can I go?'

 

'Library of Purgatory, of course.'

 

Death's accoutrements began to flash brightly, and he said, 'Unfortunately, I can't go with you, my eternal. But I will be back as soon as I possibly can.'

 

Hermione hugged him, 'Thank you, my love. We can fight this.'

 

'And so we will.' Severus kissed her and stepped out, where Mort was already awaiting. Hermione followed him with her eyes, trying not to cry.

 

Mother Nature, for once, didn't agree with the optimistic attitude.

 

o0o 0o0 o0o 0o0 o0o

 

'Excuse me. _Excuse_ me.'

 

Hermione had to raise her voice in order to be heard by the extremely distracted old lady in spectacles at the Purgatory entrance. Said lady didn't even raise her head to say, 'May I help you?'

 

Purgatory looked a lot like the Ministry of Magic, decided Hermione. There were offices and public services, and a lot of outdated equipment alongside computer-like machinery. There was an aura of slow developing processes and much consumer frustration.

 

'I would like to know how can I appeal on a Soul Tribunal.'

 

The lady droned, 'It takes at least a decade after the demise to be eligible to apply. Then you must appeal to your guardian angel to fulfill the application.'

 

'But I am not dead.'

 

Only then did the lady raised her head to take a good look at Hermione. 'You are _alive?!_ How could this -'

 

She interrupted herself squinting her eyes. Then she realized, much to her astonishment, 'You are immortal.'

 

'Actually, I am an Incarnation of Immortality.'

 

'Oh dear,' said the lady, intimidated. 'I think I better call my manager.'

 

The manager was as lost as the old lady, and he decided to call an even higher manager. Atropos found the situation extremely amusing. It would indeed get as amusing as it could get, for the minor incarnation herself, Bureaucracy, was called to sort the situation.

 

Bureaucracy, however, was not the only incarnation involved. There was no precedent in the situation, and the Incarnation of Justice, Justitia, was called.

 

'The law has no provision for such a situation,' the business-like young lady explained. 'You want a Soul Tribunal against a demon? Which one?'

 

'Satan,' she answered. 'Not an ordinary demon.'

 

Justitia could have just twisted her Greek toga in sheer despair. 'Oh, that is rich! Not only a litigation, but one against none other than the Incarnation of Evil! All laws of the Great Beyond will have to be rewritten!'

 

Hermione shrugged, 'Satan has been bending laws and rules since the dawn of time. One day this was bound to happen.'

 

'But can you see the problem? Purgatory is supposed to be neutral. We are not above Good and Evil, but we can't take sides. How am I to assign a fair judge to this case? There is a matter of rank here. We are all minor incarnations! How can we rule over a major incarnation _and_ a major entity in the same complaint?'

 

Hermione answered, 'Well, I was wronged and I want to set the record straight. You are the entity of Justice. Can't you rule the case?'

 

Justitia frowned. She obviously didn't think about that. 'That is actually not a bad idea. I haven't been on the bench in a while. Perhaps we could settle it all in only a nice hearing. Let me consult with Heaven and Hell, and I will let you know.'

 

Later, Hermione thought that Lady Justice could have said she would break Hell loose.

 

o0o 0o0 o0o 0o0 o0o

 

Lachesis opened the door and a red angry face greeted her, 'What in the name of the most foul are you people thinking?'

 

The middle aged aspect of Fate was unfazed, 'If you don't mind your manners, Satan, I won't let you in.'

 

The Incarnation of Evil shouted, 'I demand an explanation!'

 

Lachesis noisily shut the door without batting an eyelash. In the same second, Satan knocked again. She opened, asking, 'Are you any calmer?'

 

'Why did you request a Soul Tribunal?', he answered in a much subdued voice.

 

She corrected him, 'I did not. Clotho did. Perhaps it had something to do with your personification of her lover. Or perhaps she felt so deceived by you that there was no ground for freewill in her decision.'

 

'Let me in. I want to talk to her.'

 

Lachesis did not grant him entrance to the abode. 'You can do that in court.'

 

'This is absurd! Aren't you concerned with the precedent? What if this becomes a regular occurrence?'

 

'You should have thought about the consequences of your act before you engaged in your devious devices.'

 

'But -'

 

Lachesis interrupted him, 'Save it for the hearing, Lucifer. If this is all, I bid you farewell.'

 

She closed the door and he shouted, 'This is not over! You will see!'

 

A foul cloud of sulfur was the confirmation that Satan had left the premises. Lachesis sighed.

 

You could have let him in, said Hermione.

 

She did right, piped up Atropos. It would have been a shouting match, dear. Better shout in front of a judge.

 

Chronos, who was unaware of the internal conversation, said, 'What did he want?'

 

Lachesis sat by his side, intertwined their fingers and shrugged, saying, 'Don't have the faintest idea. I'm not in the mood for his tantrums.'

 

'That means Lady Justice told him about the hearing,' said Chronos.

 

'It also means he was not expecting such a move,' offered Lachesis.

 

'I think we should call in Thanatos.'

 

There was another knock on the door. Lachesis opened it, expecting Thanatos. Instead, it was a minor entity from Purgatory, handing out some sort of subpoena. Actually it was the order of Lady Justice setting a date for the official hearing, allowing the parts to invite up to three guests as witnesses. Hermione was invited to see the document. In the meantime, Severus arrived.

 

'It means you will have to face him, my dear, face to face,' confirmed Chronos. 'Are you ready?'

 

She drew a long breath and answered, 'No. But I am getting there.'

 

Severus reminded, 'Satan won't know what hit him. As a mortal, this young lady here was deemed the brightest witch of her age.'

 

Chronos's eyes widened up. 'She was a witch? That really makes things interesting. Oh, it also says here that in addition to the witnesses, there will also be observers from both Heaven and Hell.'

 

Hermione asked, 'Who could they be?'

 

'High-ranking angels and demons, most probably princes,' said the Incarnation of Time. 'But I wouldn't put it past Satan to bring on his four pals.'

 

Hermione repeated, 'Four pals?'

 

'They are more commonly known as the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. You met one, already. He is a major incarnation. Did you know that?'

 

The younger aspect of Fate paled. Severus was Death, and of course there would be plenty of deaths in the end of days, as the Bible said. Was the man she loved an unwilling servant of Evil? Was Severus a minion of the Most Unfoul?

 

There was a silence in the room, but before the other aspects could react, Severus himself set the record straight, saying, 'Chronos is talking about Mars. War rides with them, in the red horse. The Antichrist rides the white one, Famine rides the pale one, and Disease rides the green horse. But despite his status as one of the Horsemen, War is a major incarnation. He is independent and not aligned with Satan.'

 

Hermione recalled, 'Mother Nature once said she couldn't understand why Mars kept him as company.'

 

Severus said, 'It is clear in the Bible that Death was not one of the Four Horsemen. But people always assumed so.'

 

He felt Hermione's hand on his cheek. 'You are so misunderstood, my love...' Severus smiled tenderly at her. They held hands.

 

Chronos cleared his throat, bringing them back to reality. 'I can see that the hearing is not far away. Should we hold a meeting to discuss strategy?'

 

'I think it would be wise,' said Severus. 'And we could call in some guests.'

 

In the end, it was agreed that the most useful guest would be Mother Nature. Although Mars was theoretically neutral, his presence in such a strategic meeting could give Satan an advantage. Not because Mars would sell them out to his devilish pal, but because The Most Foul was a very smart guy. So Mars could become a liability.

 

Severus was getting a bit fed up with those uncertainties. So he decided to act on them without telling the others.


	21. Chapter 21

##  **Chapter 21 – A day in court**

 

Going to his destination wasn't so easy, because Severus/Death was forbidden to go there. So he went to Purgatory and, as discretely as he could, he looked for a sort of middle man and asked for a meeting. It was arranged.

 

'Well, well, well,' the voice was as smug as the entity itself. 'Look who it is. Thanatos himself. I am flattered.'

 

Severus grinded his teeth. 'I would have gone to your lair, but it is not possible.'

 

Satan's smiled grew wider. 'Such a pity, isn't it? You could have seen your home for eternity. But never mind. I understand your need for secrecy.'

 

'You know why I came.'

 

'I suppose you will _beg_ ,' he said contemptuously.

 

'I thought you would rather make a deal.'

 

'A deal? What could you possibly offer me that I don't already have?'

 

'You know what I want.'

 

'Yes, I do indeed. But what do you have to offer me that I don't already have?'

 

'I will give you my soul,' affirmed Severus tensely.

 

'And what is the deal?'

 

'You admit your deception and lift the hold over her soul. Release her for eternity.'

 

Satan chuckled in the most abject manner. 'You know, Severus, I've always considered you an intelligent fellow. That is why I can't believe I am saying this for the third time now: what do you have to offer me that I _don't_ already have? Because, from where I am standing, I already have your soul as well as hers.'

 

Severus didn't seem fazed at all. 'That is not true, and you know it. No need to fake it. From where I am standing, you have only prospects, and I am offering you certainty. And in a demonstration of good will, I won't mention your proclivities to treachery, lies and deceit. I trust you will keep up your end of our bargain.'

 

'I appreciate it,' said Satan insincerely. 'But I don't see a point in making such a deal. I still see two souls in my dominions. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but in the future. Unlike you, I have a larger scope of vision.' Satan dropped the nice guy stance and turned fierce and challenging, almost angry. 'You _will_ be mine in the end, Death. But the Scrumptious One? She is _already_ mine.'

 

Incensed, Severus spat, 'She will never be yours!'

 

The Incarnation of Evil smiled, saying, 'Ah, there you go: hatred. I love the smell of hatred in the morning. Besides, you might want to rethink your strategy. If she goes up for all eternity, you will be separated, given that you most certainly will go down, my friend. But if I take her soul, you two will be in the same place. You can be together. Sev, my homie, I am doing you a _favor!_ Now, am I not a nice guy?'

 

Severus snarled, 'You will regret this. I promise you. I won't forget this.'

 

Satan's only reaction was a loud laughter and a wave, before saying, 'See you in court, mate!'

 

And then he was gone, with a putrid smell on his wake.

 

o0o 0o0 o0o 0o0 o0o

 

 

'How is the hearing going to be?' Severus saw Hermione asking tensely.

 

'You need to relax,' said Mother Nature. 'A hearing is not a judgment. Heavenly observers will be in attendance to make sure everything will be fair.'

 

Chronos reminded, 'Lady Justice herself is going to preside the procedure, so there will be no need for prosecutors or defense lawyers. The whole thing is fashioned to be simple, quick and fair.'

 

Severus said, 'There is one thing that really bothers me. Hermione is accused of corrupting the Source of Life, but she didn't know that. Yet ignorance of the law can't be an excuse for breaking the law.'

 

Mother Nature agreed, 'That much is true. And I don't know how she was never told this.'

 

Hermione said, 'Since my sister aspects can't go in the Void, they wouldn't know about that to tell me.'

 

Severus tried to quell his anger as he said, 'Well, somebody _should_ have told her.'

 

Gaia turned to him and said, 'That is immaterial now, I'm afraid.' Then she directed herself to Hermione, 'We can coach you into some probable questions and a reasonable line of defense. For instance, you probably will argue that Satan lured you into doing the deed.'

 

'That much is true,' confirmed Hermione. 'I was minding my business, doing my job, actually, and he showed up, suggesting we had sex.'

 

'And you didn't think it was odd?'

 

'Yes, and I said so. He just said he wanted to try new things. I asked if there were rules against that, and he didn't answer me, just dismissed my apprehensions. Seeing his reaction, I thought there was no harm in that, and so I agreed.'

 

Chronos frowned. 'Wait a sec. You thought there might be rules? But you just said you didn't know about them.'

 

'I was thinking more along the lines of indecent exposure, or some other misdemeanor. Certainly not sullying the Source of Life,' she answered. 'I had no idea this was a major sin.'

 

Severus said, 'She was tricked into committing a sin. Isn't that enough to dismiss the charges?'

 

Mother Nature repeated, 'Ignorance of the law can't be used for to forgive breaking the law.'

 

Chronos shrugged, 'Old Nick will probably argue she wasn't forced into anything against her will. That is how he operates: he makes people beg him for things that will damn them.'

 

Gaia told the younger aspect of Fate, 'I guess it is safe to assume that you will be asked if you would still do the deed had you known it was illegal.'

 

'But he wasn't Severus!' argued Hermione. 'I would never do that with anyone else. Not there, not anywhere.'

 

'So, you would have done it anyway if _Severus_ asked you - even if it were illegal, right?'

 

'Severus would never ask me to break the law! He is a good man!'

 

Gaia was gentle but firm. 'But if he did ask you, would you comply with his request?'

 

She blushed, 'Yes. Yes, if it were Severus, I would not have denied him his wishes.'

 

Chronos frowned. 'That place is so secluded. How would anyone find out?'

 

Severus answered, 'A grave sin immediately tarnishes one's soul. No one can hide his own wrongdoings from oneself. In the tally of the soul, all is revealed.'

 

Mother Nature added, 'I must also say that one of my office's abilities is to be instantly aware of any corruption to both natural and supernatural resources. When the Source of Life was corrupted, I was immediately drawn to the scene.'

 

Chronos was impressed, 'You know about _every_ act of corruption, misuse and pollution of the natural resources?'

 

'I do indeed.'

 

'That is impressive. Are mortals aware of that?'

 

She pondered for two seconds before answering, 'I am pretty sure that although some of them have an intuition about it, a handful can feel it but the vast majority prefers to actively ignore it.'

 

Chronos raised both eyebrows, further impressed. Exasperated, Severus frowned, 'Can we focus on the present task, please? What can we do to _win_ this case?'

 

Harshly, Gaia declared, 'There is no certainty of victory. A sin was committed, there's no denying. Clotho's best shot is to tell the truth and deal with the consequences.'

 

'I am sure, Mother,' said Chronos, 'that she will not have the option to lie in the hearing.'

 

'How is that?'

 

'Justitia is the embodiment of justice in its purest form,' he reminded. 'She most assuredly summoned help from the Incarnation of Truth. That is one of the reasons Satan is so mad at the hearing. He won't be able to speak outright lies. But truth can be bent. And he is a master at that.'

 

Hermione paled at those words. Severus saw her distress and reassured her, 'I am going to do everything to sort this out, you hear me? Everything, my love.'

 

She smiled, 'Thank you, Severus.'

 

Severus smiled back at her, wondering if and how he could make good on his word.

 

o0o 0o0 o0o 0o0 o0o

 

Finally the great day arrived. Great was a very apt word, because the preparations were extensive. Chronos was called to halt time and allow all incarnations to attend the proceedings. The Incarnation of Truth, called Veritas, placed a supernatural lasso around the hall so nobody could lie in the stand.

 

Truth be told, there was no stand. The round room set for the hearing featured a high table with three seats (two observers and the judge), in the center. Forming a perfect T with the judge's table, there was a long rectangular table with fourteen seats distributed in two rows of seven, one row facing the other. Surrounding the tables, a round amphitheater was set to accommodate the audience.

 

It was quite a gathering in the galleries. Errant souls, minor incarnations, middle management employees and lowly servants of Purgatory, they all rushed to watch the momentous affair. There had never been a judicial contention between one of the two major entities and a major Incarnation of Immortality. That was considered probably the fact of the millennia, barring only the End of Time, of course. But everyone thought Armageddon would be boring, compared to this.

 

Severus was dismayed by the way both parties were placed. They were facing each other, in a permanent confrontation. He sat down beside Hermione, who tried to put on her best face, though Severus knew she was tense and fragile. Gaia joined them on the table, and so did Chronos.

 

Then entered Satan and his party.

 

There were seven demons in total. They were all princes, such as Lucifer and Beelzebub. Severus recognized them as the demons presiding the Seven Deadly Sins: Lucifer (pride), Leviathan (envy), Beelzebub (gluttony), Asmodeus (lust), Belphegor (sloth) and Satan himself, who presided Wrath. They came in creating a genuine ruckus, with shouts and catcalls.

 

Hermione whispered, 'I thought Lucifer and Satan were the same one.'

 

Gaia observed, 'A common mistake. The Devil takes over his demons so many times that mankind mistakes them. Satan is also a demon, by the way. The Devil never shows himself. Just like God, his true form cannot be comprehended by men - for different reasons, of course.'

 

Severus raised an eyebrow. He, too, didn't know many of those facts. It's just that he never bothered much with the Incarnation of Evil before.

 

A sort of supernatural gong was heard, as well as the announcement. 'Please all rise for the arrival of Lady Justice, presiding over this special hearing in lieu of a Soul Tribunal. Her Honor will be assisted by two observers, both representatives of major entities of Good and Evil: His Highness Prince Demon Belial, The Worthless; and His Highness Archangel Metatron, Chancellor of Heaven, Prince of the Divine Presence and Sustainer of Mankind!'

 

The trio walked into the room regally. Lady Justice was in full judging regalia, including a Greek attire and a wig resembling the ones used in British court system. Metatron had his white gown, halo and wings, whereas Belial was dressed in a snappy black suit that contrasted with his deep dark red skin and his retorted horns.

 

All three sat down solemnly in the high table. There was a nervous move from the galleries, now that the session was about to start. The supernatural voice announced, 'You may now be seated as Madam Justice declares the session opened.'

 

The packed galleries obeyed the order and the Lady Justice pronounced, 'Good day to all of you. This session is now open to judge the matter of a soul’s destiny. Since it involves one of the major Incarnations of Immortality, Justice will be more appropriately served with a hearing, and not a Soul’s Tribunal. The soul in question is the mortal part of Clotho, one of the three aspects of Fate. The mortal sin examined here will be the conspurcation of the Source of Life, aka the Fountain of Life.’

 

There was a murmur throughout the galleries at those words. Justice raised her head to silence them, subsequently picking up a series of parchments. On the far end of the high table, Severus noticed a small, fragile figure typing everything: most certainly it was a court stenographer, recording all procedures.

 

The Lady Justice continued, ‘These proceedings will determine if such a soul belongs in Heaven or Hell-’ A loud ruckus erupted from the seven demons, interrupting Her Honor and she yelled, ‘Silence!’ The whole room immediately became quiet. ‘If this audience or any of the parties can’t keep themselves under control, I will be forced to empty the premises. Is that clear?’

 

The demons just shrugged and murmured meaningless apologies, although Severus distinctively heard one of them saying, ‘Yeah, whatever’, or something of that ilk. He looked at Lady Justice: she seemed less than pleased with them. So Severus touched Hermione’s hand from under the table to reassure her. She squeezes his hand affectionately.

 

Justice took the parchments and addressed the parties, ‘This courtroom is sealed from Time, so time will not pass inside it. It is also sealed for Truth, so no lies can be told.’ Disgruntled noises came from the demons. ‘It is up to me to pass sentence. It will be final and there will be no grounds for appeal. If you are here, you are bound to accept and uphold these terms. Is that clear, Mr. Defendant?’ She received a reluctant nod from Satan. ‘Is that clear, Miss Plaintiff?’ Hermione also nodded.

 

She went on to both of them, ‘And that is how you shall be called henceforth. Although this case traditionally configures a criminal claim, due to the nature of sin and such, the proceedings will be held as a simple lawsuit, only to determine if the soul in question shall be or not be damned to Hell. Being such an unprecedented and unparalleled litigation, however, I will allow some leeway, so you may require some during the procedures. There will be, however, no leeway to the sentencing, for I shall rule it yes or no only. Is that also clear?’ Both parties nodded. ‘These conditions have already been discussed with the parties as well as with the dignitaries who are here to observe the proceedings. So, if you all agree, we shall proceed to the dispute itself immediately.’

 

A flutter of expectation waved in the room, especially from the audience. Severus could see them waiting for the show to begin.

 

‘I will call the first witness. As tradition dictates, the victim opens the proceedings. Miss Plaintiff, shall we begin?’

 

Hermione leaned in from her seat, but she was interrupted by a shout of indignation, ‘I object, Madam Justice! I am the _victim_ here!’

 

The audience became quite surprised at Satan's claim. Lady Justice stared at him and rose and eyebrow, ‘Indeed, Mr. Defendant? Would you care to elaborate?’

 

Satan stood up and answered, hotly, ‘I did my job correctly and I expect to be rewarded accordingly! She sinned a great sin and she belongs in Hell! This hearing is a sham and a mockery of supernatural justice! This woman wants to get away with murder!’

 

The demons didn't shout, but they mumbled in agreement. The galleries became unsettled. Lady Justice didn't bat a single eyelash.

 

‘As I pointed earlier, Mr. Defendant, although this is akin to a criminal court, this is a civil suit. There is no murder here. Miss Plaintiff feels she was wronged, and that she was victim of trickery. This complaint was charged against _you_. Therefore, she legally is the victim. Objection overruled. And since we are on it, I rule you shall remain seated at all times. Is that understood?’ Most irately, Satan did seat as ordered, making a loud noise with his chair and huffing noisily, barely containing his anger.

 

Pointedly ignoring him, Her Honor addressed Hermione and asked, ‘Now, Miss Plaintiff, shall we begin at last?’


	22. Justice must be served

##  **Chapter 22 – Justice must be served**

 

 

Since there was no stand, Hermione stood in her seat as Lady Justice awaited for her testimony to begin, as requested.

 

Severus saw Hermione's flushed face and knew she  was really scared. He noticed how she avoided to look at the other side of the table, a remarkable feat considering how close they were.

 

Still, Severus saw Hermione draw a deep breath and begin, 'I was at the Void fulfilling the specifications of my office, when I saw the man who I thought was my lover. I was surprised.'

 

'Why was that?', asked the judge.

 

'It was unusual,' she said. 'We respect each other's offices and we don't visit when we are performing our duties.'

 

'So you questioned him?'

 

'He said he wanted to try new things. He suggested we make love right there.'

 

'Making love in various places was a habit of you? Or public ones?'

 

'Not at all. We were actually a sort of clandestine couple, due to Satan's harassment towards me.'

 

'Really? The accused had harassed you?'

 

'Rumor has it he actually had my husband murdered just to get me.'

 

Satan shot up to his feet, yelling, 'Objection, Your Honor! It's hearsay, character damaging and irrelevant to the case!'

 

The judge conceded, 'I agree that it may be hearsay, but the relevance is yet to be determined. Ms. Plaintiff, you will refrain from the murder accusation. Just tell me the facts of this harassment. And you better sit down, Mr. Defendant!'

 

Satan huffed but obeyed.

 

'Yes, Your Honor,' said Hermione. 'I can say the accused has been harassing me since I took the office. He came to me once, in the Void, to terrorize me over how my job would include sexual favors from every male incarnation, including himself. He tried to turn me against my sisters aspects and offered me an alleged safe haven in his dominions in exchange of my resignation from the office as Clotho.'

 

'I assume you turned down the offer. Did  the situation continue?'

 

'Exactly, Your Honor. The only incarnation the accused might respect is Chronos. So we devised a strategy to keep him away from me, and that was to say Chronos was my lover when in fact he was Lachesis's lover. It kept the accused at bay for a while, but soon he became suspicious of the deception.'

 

'I still don't understand the situation. Where does Thanatos come into this?'

 

Hermione blushed a bit and said, 'Chronos realized that he actually loved Lachesis, but if their relationship became known, I would be vulnerable to the accused. He felt like he was entitled to me, and ignored all my protests.'

 

'I see,' said Justitia. 'And Thanatos?'

 

'He was interested in me,' she said, 'but never said anything, being such a good friend of Chronos. Fortunately, we ended up finding each other.'

 

'But the relationship between you both had to be kept secret, right?'

 

'That is correct.'

 

'And yet, despite the usual secrecy, you felt Thanatos was out of character?'

 

'Not at first, because he said he was trying for new things. But soon I felt his behavior was really off.'

 

'And what did you do then? Did you confront him?'

 

Severus saw Hermione getting tenser and tenser. 'I could not. He fled at the first opportunity and I went into shock when I realized what had happened.'

 

'And what happened after that?'

 

'I don't quite recall. I remember feeling utterly alone because my sister aspects were dormant. Then Mother Nature appeared and said I was doomed.'

 

'Did you know why you were doomed?'

 

'Actually, I didn't. I just felt a great sense of dread.'

 

'So you didn't know about the restrictions towards the Fountain of Life?'

 

'I did not. All I knew is that not all incarnations can go into the Void.'

 

'Didn't you suspect anything?'

 

'I suspected we could be incurring in a misdemeanor such as indecent exposure or something like that, but never a mortal sin.'

 

'Is that your defense? You didn't know?'

 

'No. My defense is that I was lured and tricked into a sin of which I had no knowledge. It is different than saying I didn't know.'

 

The audience was clearly divided about it and there was some noise from the galleries. Lady Justice banged her gavel, and ordered, 'Silence!'

 

The noise ceased, and the judge turned back to Hermione, 'You claim to have been lured. Does that mean you don't consider yourself having been forced into doing anything you didn't want to do?'

 

'No, Ma'am.'

 

Another commotion surged from the galleries, this time in tandem with the smiles and smirks from the seven demons at the other side of the table. Justitia banged the gavel harder and it ended immediately.

 

Then she turned to Hermione again and frowned, 'You are fairly new at this, aren't you? Being an Incarnation, I mean?'

 

'That is right, Your Honor.'

 

'And you didn't know that sullying the Source of Life is a mortal sin?'

 

'No.'

 

'How come no one told you?'

 

'I really can't answer that. My own sister aspects don't know anything about that, since they are not allowed into the Void. They could have never warned me.

 

'Do you know who was supposed to give you that information?'

 

'No, Your Honor.'

 

'So I will go against my instincts and ask a hypothetical question. Had you known it was a sin, would you have denied your lover his wishes?'

 

Severus could feel the tension rising. Hermione was trembling as she shook her head, 'He would _never_ have -'

 

Gently but firmly, the judge interrupted her, 'Just answer the question, please. A simple yes or no will suffice.'

 

Severus saw Hermione's voice falter as she answered, 'I believe I would have done it.'

 

A shout came from a demon of lust, Asmodeus: 'Oh yeah! I am _so_ good, yo!'

 

The demons laughed out loud and shouted, as they clapped his back and yelled various hacks.

 

'That's the one! Asmodeus is _da_ man!'

 

'The little lady is brown bread! She is toast, bro!'

 

'Fry her sorry ass! Fry it now!'

 

Severus wondered, not for the first time, why denizens of Hell liked so much to talk in gangsta rap. But Lady Justice was having none of it. She banged the gavel harder and shouted, 'This will be my last warning! If the accused and his party can't keep quiet, they will be removed from the premises!'

 

The ruckus subsided and the judge resumed the hearing, asking, 'Ms. Plaintiff, if I am not mistaken, part of your job is to collect the raw material if life itself and spin the thread that becomes the lifeline of a mortal soul. Tell me, were the resulting threads that you spun after your tryst defective in any way?'

 

The younger aspect of Fate looked confused and repeated, 'Defective? In what fashion?'

 

'Any fashion: defective children, physical disabilities or faulty morality, perhaps?'

 

'Nothing out of the ordinary, Ma'am.'

 

'Where was the distaff with the material in question?'

 

'I put it in a safe place.'

 

'So it was not corrupted?'

 

'No, Your Honor.'

 

'All right. Thank you for your cooperation. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to talk to Gaia, please.' The Incarnation of Nature leaned forward to have eye contact with the judge. 'You immediately came to the place, if I recall correctly.' She nodded and the judge asked, 'Why did you do that?'

 

'It is part of my job,' Gaia explained. 'Whenever and wherever there is a threat to natural resources, I am drawn to it.'

 

'Please describe what did you find.'

 

Gaia's beautiful eyes were sad, 'When I arrived there, Clotho was confused and disoriented. I could feel the corruption in the air. But she couldn't say a coherent word, so I took her home.'

 

'And then what happened?'

 

'She talked to her sisters and, when she realized what had come to pass and the consequences, she became utterly desperate. She didn't know it was a mortal sin.'

 

'Why do you think she didn't know?'

 

'I have my theories. But I am almost sure she was withheld the information on purpose, with the intent to fall in the trap.'

 

'By whom?'

 

'I don't know who. And I don't wish to talk without proof.'

 

'Tell me what are your suspicions.'

 

'If you insist, Your Honor, I can only say this: I have no idea who did this, but I strongly suspect it was on the Foul One's behalf.'

 

'Objection!' frothed Satan. 'Speculation! And slander!'

 

Justitia turned to him and calmly said, 'The witness only said that at my insistence, Mr. Defendant, so I will overrule your objection.'

 

This time Satan huffed and puffed, but he didn't complain. The judge turned to the Incarnation of Nature and went on, 'After Ms. Plaintiff realized her situation, then what happened?'

 

'We had a small gathering to discuss the situation.'

 

'When you say we, who do you mean?'

 

'Clotho, Thanatos, Chronos and myself. Mars also came by.'

 

'I see.' Lady Justice seemed to ponder on that for a fraction of a second. 'What were your conclusions?'

 

'Although we were divided in pertaining to the next step, we all agreed it was Satan's doing.'

 

'What were your personal conclusions?'

 

Gaia pressed her lips tightly before answering, 'Once again, Your Honor, I'd rather not answering this question.'

 

'Would you care to tell me why is that?'

 

'First of all, Clotho is a dear child of mine and a sweet girl. But mostly because I don't think my opinion is that relevant to the case.'

 

'Duly noted. I will respect your wishes,' Lady Justice nodded and turned to the other side of the table. 'Now I wish to have a word with the accused. Do you mind if I call you sir?'

 

Satan put on his best smug smile and said, 'Not at all, milady.'

 

'So, _sir_ ,' said Lady Justice pointedly, 'do you admit to having tricked the plaintiff into a mortal sin?'

 

'But of course,' he said proudly. 'It was a superb job, if I may say so myself.'

 

'Then why do you say you are the victim here?'

 

'Your honor, I was just doing my job. It is the duty of my office to conquer souls, by any means necessary. Trickery and deception are my specialties. And I did just that. As I said, just my job. There is no need for this hearing.'

 

'Would you care to elaborate on that _by_ _any_ _means_ _necessary_ part?'

 

The pleasant face gave way to an irate demeanor. 'What are you insinuating? I didn't force anyone into doing anything! Her soul was won fair and square!'

 

Severus felt a surge of red anger rising inside of him. Hermione realized that, and, although the demon's words rattled her, she put her hand on his arm to calm him down. The Incarnation of Death immediately could feel the boiling emotions cooling down.

 

Unaware of the exchange, the judge asked Satan, 'Did you premeditate the actions that led to the conspurcation of the Source of Life?'

 

The smile returned. 'I sure as hell did.'

 

'Did you expect that outcome?'

 

The smile became predatory. 'Not at first. She is a smart girl, and I expected her to see through me right away. But she is a naughty girl, too.' He cast a sly look at Hermione. 'I bet she secretly enjoyed it, too.'

 

At the slur, Severus rose to his feet, leaning towards the demon, hands balled into fists, literally snarling at the creature. Satan retreated, crying, 'Aggression! Aggression!'. The other demons heckled at the Incarnation of Death. All hell broke loose.

 

Lady Justice banged the gavel, 'Order!'

 

Hermione pulled Severus back to his seat, as Satan continued to scream abuse at him. The judge was totally pissed.

 

'If the members of the audience can't control themselves, I will empty the premises! I mean it! I have been more than tolerant!'

 

Silence reigned supreme, her voice echoing in the hall. Lady Justice warned Satan, 'The accused will refrain from speculation towards the plaintiff. Is that clear?'

 

Unrepentantly, Satan nodded, 'Crystal clear, Your Honor.'

 

'So, let's get this done, shall we?' she asked. 'Did you force yourself on the plaintiff?'

 

'Absolutely not!' Satan looked affronted. 'That is not the way I operate!'

 

'How can you prove that?'

 

'I asked her if she wanted me to stop. And I was willing to comply if she didn't want to do it. You can ask her.'

 

The judge frowned and turned to Hermione, 'Is it true? He asked you that?'

 

'That is not true,' said Hermione. 'He never asked me that.'

 

Severus was surprised, but he carefully hid it. It was clear Hermione must have some plan. Whatever it was, Severus hoped it included getting advantage from Satan's anger.

 

The Evil One went absolutely ballistic. 'LIAR! You sneaky little treacherous jezebel! That is a big, fat **lie**! She is trying to trick you, Your Honor!'

 

Hermione calmly maintained, 'That is not a lie.'

 

'I agree,' said the judge. 'There are safeguards against lies in this room. It is impossible to lie. Yet you insist Satan is lying.'

 

'He is not telling the truth,' said Hermione. 'It is what he does for an office, isn't it? That is why we are here. He lies and deceits to damn souls to hell.'

 

Satan was literally fuming, and the foul stench was spreading as he vented, 'I am not lying, you undying whore!'

 

Although Hermione remained impassive, Severus cried, 'Shut up! Shut your filthy mouth!'

 

Satan smirked, 'The poor boyfriend still sticks up for his two-timing girlfriend! You really enjoy second servings, don't you?'

 

The demons around Satan raised a second ruckus, and the audience went even wilder than the first time. It was enough to rile up the judge. She screamed, 'This is it! You have all been warned! Bailiff, clear the galleries!'

 

The uproar was deafening, but the room of the hearing was preserved from the evacuation. Suddenly there was no noise around them, and the galleries vanished from view. As much as the ruckus was deafening, so was the silence.

 

'Well,' said the judge, 'perhaps now we can hear the plaintiff's answer. Tell us how has the accused been able to lie to this court.'

 

Severus saw Hermione barely able to contain a smug of satisfaction as she answered, 'He said that he asked me for consent, and that is not the exact truth. What happened was that: I asked him if doing sex so near the source of life was wrong. He told me the Incarnation of Death wouldn't know about it. I hesitated. Then he said that we could cancel everything if I was offended by his suggestion. Only then I did agree to it.'

 

The Incarnation of Justice raised an eyebrow and observed, 'That was cleverly phrased.'

 

Satan grinned, 'Why, thank you, Your Honor.'

 

Her features clouded immediately. 'I was not talking to you. But now that I am, tell me why you believe this soul was won, as you said, fair and square.'

 

Satan said, 'A damnation is defined by the commission of a sin by free will, without coercion or intimidation of any kind. This harlot knew it was kinky and she chose to do it anyway. That is why this whole tribunal of souls is a waste of time. Her soul is mine!'

 

 _Over my dead body_ , growled Severus to himself, but he kept quiet. Much to his surprise, though, Justitia turned to him and asked, 'Thanatos, your image and your name were used during this incident. Is there anything you want to say?'

 

'Plenty, Your Honor.'

 

Now, he thought, it's about time we turn this game around.


	23. A paler shade of red

##  **Chapter 23 – A paler shade of red  
**

 

Severus was almost surprised when Lady Justice asked him to speak up his mind. It was his chance to speak in court! He cast a look at Satan. The Lord of All Evil emitted a sound of boredom, but the judge ignored it. 'You may proceed,' she told Severus.

 

The Incarnation of Death drew a deep breath. He had thought about this so many times. Then he started, 'At first, Your Honor, I must confess I was confused. And I still ask myself if a sin was really committed here. You see, the author was deceived and had no inkling she was incurring in a mortal sin. Satan admitted it was a deception. Where is the free will when she didn't know it was a sin?'

 

'But she knew something might be wrong,' recalled the judge. 'She admitted asking him if it was wrong.'

 

'And the answer she received was a lie. How could she make an informed decision? How does that count for actual free will?'

 

The judge answered, 'It is the opinion of this court that the plaintiff knew enough. Do you have any other question?'

 

Severus realized that Lady Justice had probably made her decision already, and it was not favorable to Hermione's cause. So he quickly said, 'Bear with me for a moment, please, Your Honor, as I plead the alleged sin as completely immaterial.'

 

Mute shock spread amongst the high table, although no one said a word. Justitia just said, 'Explain.'

 

Severus tried to keep up his motivation as he explained, 'I called this sin immaterial because it would never have happened outside that exact set of circumstances. And those circumstances were absolutely fake.'

 

'Go on,' asked the judge.

 

'For instance, I believe we all agree that Satan here would never, of his own mind, commit an act of altruistic nature. It is not in his nature. He has not a cell of good in his body!' Severus turned to him and added, unrepentantly, 'No offense.'

 

The entity of evil shrugged, equally unrepentantly, 'None taken.'

 

'And,' Severus proceeded, 'we must also consider Clotho would have equally never committed such sin outside those precise circumstances created by the accused.'

 

The Lady Justice frowned, 'How can you proclaim that? The plaintiff herself admitted she would break rules if asked by her boyfriend, and that is you.'

 

Severus nodded and reminded, 'But she also said she would not do it for anyone else. Isn’t that so?'

 

The judged shrugged, saying, 'Yes, that is correct, but I must say I don't see your point.'

 

Severus said, 'Don't forget, Your Honor, that I could never be able to ask her to break the sacred rule of life or to conspurcate the sacred Source of Life.'

 

'Why do you insist on saying you could never do that?’ said Justitia. ‘I begin to wonder if you feel yourself to be so pure and holy as to not ever being able to commit that sin!'

 

Humbly, Severus confessed, 'Not in the least, Your Honor. As a matter of fact, I suspect it is precisely because I am neither that I am not allowed in the Void.'

 

The judge was getting impatient. 'Yes, I can see you are not pure and holy, but what is your point, Thanatos? You are not making a whole lot of sense here.'

 

Satan had turned a shade paler, realizing what Severus said. His lips were tightly shut.

 

Severus saw Metatron, the representative of Heaven, gently lean towards the judge and whisper a brief word. Lady Justice rose an eyebrow and said, as she realized, 'Oh. _OH._ I see now. Thank you, Your Highness.'

 

Severus asked, 'Do you realize, Your Honor, that if she would only commit this sin over my insistence, and since I cannot go into the Void because it is impossible for me to do so, how could this sin _ever_ be committed? It would be impossible – unless, those artificial circumstances were created. But since those circumstances are not either natural or spontaneous, this sin would have never occurred in a natural environment.'

 

She nodded slowly, in silence, thinking deeply. There was a bit of expectation in the room. The demons accompanying Satan were breathless. Satan was still a paler shade of red, getting pinkish by the second.

 

'That was a brilliant point, Thanatos,' conceded Lady Justice. 'Very well phrased, and flawlessly logical. I commend you.’

 

Severus nodded with a small smile, his heart bearing some hope. Could he have changed the judge’s mind?

 

The Lady Justice was smiling as she said, ‘It made me miss my days in the bench. And it was a good feeling. But even that brilliant argument cannot erase the fact that a sin was committed, a real sin, and a material sin, if you wish. Also, a real soul was tainted. So I already have my ruling. The plaintiff's petition is denied and her soul damned to hell.'

 

If there ever was a cold shower in his soul, Severus felt that one like the most chilling in both his lives. Hermione let out a faint sound of despair, and he held her. At the opposite side of the table, Satan received loud congratulations from his demonic friends, complete with sexual slurs.

 

Severus felt his skin crawl. He could feel Hermione trembling in his arms. He could see, in his mind's eye, the misery and suffering Satan would create upon her. Eternally.

 

That was something he could not stand.

 

Before the judge could bang her gavel and pass the sentence, Severus stood up and pleaded, 'Your Honor. Please, may I make a request?'

 

She frowned, 'Thanatos, before this hearing began, all parties agreed not to appeal against my sentencing. If you are about to ask that…'

 

Severus guaranteed,'This is not an appeal, milady. Your sentence is set and I do not wish to question it. But I respectfully request a transfer of your sentence, if possible.'

 

'A transfer?'

 

'I would like to serve Clotho's sentence in her place.'

 

Severus could tell this move was unexpected. Lady Justice raised an eyebrow, admired. The envoys from Heaven and Hell, who had been practically motionless during the entire hearing, stirred in their seats. Hermione shouted, 'No!'

 

'Is that correct?' the judge asked Severus. 'You want to serve her sentence?’

 

He nodded, ‘That is correct, milady.’

 

Severely, she reminded him, ‘You would damn your soul irrevocably. Right now you still have a chance of redemption for eternity. If you do this, you won't have that anymore. And let me remind you there can be no appeal upon this sentence.'

 

'I am quite aware of that, milady,' he calmly said.

 

'Severus, please!' Hermione was exasperated.

 

Severus noticed that Satan was strangely quiet, this time. Last time Severus suggested a similar arrangement, the Master of All Evil refused his plea. Hermione called his attention again.

 

'Please, Severus,' she said, tears in her eyes. 'Don't do this. You would be lost forever! I can't let you do this!'

 

He took her hands in his and said, 'And I can't let you be damned for eternity. Please, this is not the time to be noble.'

 

The tears fell down her cheeks as she said, in a whimper, 'How am I supposed to let you do this?'

 

Severus turned to the judge, instead. 'Is this possible, Your Honor? Does she have to agree?'

 

'Actually,' said the Incarnation of Justice, ‘the one who has to agree over this new arrangement is Satan.' She directed the question to the Incarnation of Evil. 'Do you agree, Sir?'

 

Severus felt a ton of bricks falling on him. Satan had already rejected the offer once; surely he would do that again. Hermione was doomed!

 

The sly creature answered with another question, directly at Severus, 'If I agree, will you take the matter to court again? Will you try to win back your soul from me?'

 

'No,' reassured Severus. 'I will not appeal this decision. All I ask from you, Satan, is that you cease all harassment towards Clotho. Leave her alone from now on.'

 

'What?!' Satan was not satisfied. 'I will not give a get-outta-hell free card for anyone! If she sins, she is mine!'

 

Severus said, 'You misunderstood me. I did not ask for immunity. Just for you to stop actively corrupting her soul. If she commits a crime or mortal sin, then she will be damned, like anyone else.'

 

Satan nodded, and Severus was still amazed that he looked so cool about it. Had he something up his sly sleeve? He could not be trusted!

 

Lady Justice asked the devil, 'I am still waiting for your answer. Do you accept the proposed exchange?'

 

The Prince of Darkness sighed, as if bored, before answering, 'Yes, yes, all right: I do accept it. But on one condition.'

 

'Which is?'

 

'I get to take him to hell _now_. This one is a sly creature, and I am afraid he might try to slither himself out of his promise, despite all his reassurances. Either I take him now or the deal is off.'

 

Hermione stood up, tears streaking down her face. 'Please, give us some time! Let us at least say goodbye!'

 

Satan turned to her and smugly shrugged, 'What is stopping you right now, scrumptious? Go ahead, say your farewells.'

 

Severus held her in his arms and said, 'Shh, it is all right. Everything will be fine.'

 

She sobbed, 'Oh, Severus!... I love you so much!'

 

'And I love you as well,' he said calmly. 'Maybe going now is for the best. Imagine how we would feel if we had a sort of deadline. We would spend all days counting the time together, getting anxious as the date grew nearer and nearer. Now you can rebuild your life and find yourself someone less damaged to share your days.'

 

'Don't say those things about yourself,' she chided. 'You are such a noble man. It's not fair! I feel so guilty for letting you do this.'

 

He kissed her hands, savoring their last moments together. 'Don't be. I am so grateful I can do this for you. The thought that you will be safe and away from that creature will comfort me for all eternity, my love.'

 

'I will treasure your memory throughout all times,' promised Hermione, still in tears. ‘Believe me.’

 

Satan became unpleasant as he asked, impatiently, 'Hey, you little lovebirds! Is this going to take long? Some of us have realms to rule, minions to command, and such.'

 

Gaia, her eyes suspiciously red, chastised, 'Have a heart, Satan! They will never see each other again. For all eternity!’

 

'It was their choice, love,’ Satan shrugged. 'I have an office to hold and I am just trying to keep up with my busy schedule.'

 

Hermione turned to the judge, 'If it is agreeable, Your Honor, my sister aspect Lachesis volunteers to retrieve the accoutrements and assist the next Incarnation of Death.'

 

Justitia turned to Severus, 'You are still in office, Thanatos. Do you agree?'

 

He nodded. 'It could not be in better hands.'

 

'In that case,' said the judge, 'I am sorry to say, but your time is up. So, now, in compliance of the official agreement just reached between the parties, the Incarnation of Evil can now reap the promised soul, as formerly stipulated in my sentencing. If you please, Thanatos, now you may proceed.'

 

Severus tried to step away from Hermione, but she resisted in letting her go. So Chronos gently held her back and she feebly called, 'Severus...! Please… No!...'

 

Severus saw Gaia stepping up to hold her. Then the Incarnation of Nature nodded, reassuring him that her beloved was assisted. Then Severus took off the cloak and the accoutrements. There was almost physical pain when he parted with the long scythe, his favorite. He solemnly told the judge, 'I will need only Death's personal scythe, Your Honor.'

 

Lady Justice nodded, and Severus noticed she had difficulty to say anything at that moment. He held the small, delicate scythe and elegantly made two neat and precise cuts on each wrist. Blood poured out in an unnatural gurgling fashion. Hermione let out a faint wail as he fell to the chair, sobbing quietly.

 

In taking his own life, Severus committed one of the most damnable of all sins: suicide. He had done it before, when he took the office of Death. If he had hoped for redemption before, the second suicide would irrevocably seal his fate.

 

Satan didn't hide his satisfaction as he asked the companions at his side, 'Beelzebub, Asmodeus, get off your butts and help me drag this poor sod to hell.'

 

Severus was still conscious enough to protest, 'I can walk!'

 

'I know,' said Satan ironically. 'But what is the fun in that? Come on, boys! His soul has a very special taste to me. Ah, Severus, I told you time and again that you were mine, didn’t it? You didn’t believe me, and now here we are! And they say I was the one who fell to Hell by the sin of arrogance, vanity and pride! Who is your daddy now, my boy? Ah, ah ah! Oh, we are going to have so much fun! Come on, guys, let’s get this show on the road!'

 

Satan's excellent mood was a stark contrast to the general sadness around. Hermione was devastated, as well as Gaia and Justitia. Mars looked concerned and Chronos was upset. The only creatures who seemed unperturbed were the princes of Heaven Metatron and of Hell, Belial, although the last one couldn't hide a glint of satisfaction in his malevolent eyes.

 

The two demons held Severus by each arm and hoisted him up, ignoring the pool of blood he was creating. Hermione was trying her hardest not to whimper, but it was clear that she was failing miserably.

 

The thing was that she was not the only one failing there. The two lower demons, Beelzebub and Asmodeus, tried their best, but that was clearly not enough. They were making a huge effort, but they simply couldn't move Severus.

 

Satan became angry and impatient. 'Will you just get on with it? What the hell is wrong with you two?'

 

The tallest one was clearly embarrassed. 'I am trying, boss. This sucker is heavier than he looks.'

 

But it seemed all their efforts were useless in trying to drag Severus away. The Incarnation of Death had already lost consciousness from the loss of blood. Irritated, Satan shoved Beelzebub aside and seethed, 'You guys are useless! I have to do everything myself around here! Get away!'

 

Satan tried to drag Severus's unconscious body away, but, much to his surprise, he also couldn't move an inch. Frustrated, the Incarnation of Evil shouted, 'What in the name of the devil is this about? What kind of shenanigans are you pulling up now, Justice?'

 

Before Justitia could answer to his accusations, the envoy from Heaven gently offered, 'Perhaps this soul is no longer fit for your realm, O Most Foul One.'

 

Satan went ballistic. _'What?!_ No, no, no! You can't do that. We have just struck a deal! That is cheating! Besides, he committed _suicide!_ There is no greater mortal sin!'

 

Unaffected by the antics, Metatron recalled, 'There is no greater proof of love than laying down your own life for a loved one.'

 

Hermione frowned, unable to understand what was happening. Gaia was cautious to react, but Chronos's face all but lit up in a smile.

 

On the other hand, Satan was beyond pissed. He was possessed, actually. And he said jokingly, 'Oh, sure! The _sacrificial_ lover, the martyr. Is that what you guys are playing at? I thought the Almighty played clean! What a dirty trick!’

 

Metatron gently reminded, 'There is no cheating here. The tally of souls is not one of the Holy Father's attributions. It is done in Purgatory, as you very well know. Due to giving his own soul in sacrifice to save the woman he loved, Thanatos’s soul is totally redeemed and fit for Heaven. So now you must give up your claim on it. His soul now belongs to the Almighty.'

 

In a discreet flick of the hand, the powerful Archangel fixed the cuts on Severus's wrists and cleaned the blood. Satan was not done yelling at everybody, 'This is a ruse! I was clearly cheated! Your Honor, please! This is not fair!'

 

Lady Justice raised an eyebrow and decreed, 'Actually, it is quite fair. I can't see a single shred of deception in anything that transpired here now.’

 

‘It was a trick!’ said Satan, in a shrill voice, redder than ever and angry as a five-year-old without his lollypop. ‘He killed himself! Suicide is a mortal sin! It is the top of major sin and one of my best achievements! Nothing can beat that!’

 

Metatron explained, ‘But contrary to selfish souls, Thanatos did not commit suicide to escape his suffering and wrongs deeds or in a selfish fit of anger towards God. That’s the reason souls get damned for suicide. Thanatos, however, sacrificed his life for the sake of another person. In agreeing to sacrifice himself, Thanatos purified his soul shinier than he could have imagined.’

 

Satan huffed, beyond himself. Before he could prolong the discussion, Lady Justice banged her gavel and said, ‘So this is settled. I therefore declare this claim solved and this session adjourned. Court dismissed!'


	24. Chapter 24 – Explanations

##  **Chapter 24 –** **Explanations**

 

 

Victory over Satan had a great repercussion all over the supernatural realm. Some versions proclaimed that, based on the trial, heavenly officials were given instructions on how to defeat evil. Other versions, clearly fantastic, gave accounts of many attempts of revolts in Hell, promptly squashed by demons in charge of order enforcement.

 

Amidst the major Incarnations of Immortality, there was much to celebrate. Gaia gave a formidable luncheon to honor both Death and Fate. The happy couple could hardly contain their joy.

 

'Satan had to go back down empty handed!', roared Chronos. He laughed exceedingly loud.

 

'It was a fine battle,' conceded Mars. 'My evil friend will be nursing his wounds for quite a while!'

 

Gaia served some more homebrewed ale all around, asking, 'Are you sure you didn't plan on that, Thanatos? It was wonderfully played.'

 

Severus said, 'I did not plan any of that, I swear. I had never imagined my sacrifice could come to such good results.'

 

'That is remarkable,' Mother Nature said, raising her glass. 'A toast to that!'

 

All others copied the gesture, with a traditional 'Hear, hear!' The spirits were really up, even Mars, who was known to be in good terms with Satan.

 

After the party, Severus took Hermione home to the Abode so she and her sisters could celebrate in quiet, on their own. But that was not to be.

 

They hadn't yet gotten inside the Abode when a small guy in glasses and a business suit approached them, 'Oh, good, you are together. I am looking for the both of you. May I have your attention, please?'

 

Severus asked, 'May I ask who you are, sir?'

 

The short guy showed them a briefcase and said, 'My name is Montgomery and I work for the office of Justice. Are you the Incarnations of Death and Fate?'

 

'Really?' asked Severus, suddenly devoid of patience. He raised the characteristic scythe of the Grim Reaper and asked, 'Could there be any doubt?'

 

He cringed, 'Sorry, but I have to follow protocol. I am here to collect you both. There are some papers to sign, regarding the audience with Lady Justice.'

 

Hermione repeated, 'Papers? What papers?'

 

The man shrugged, 'Oh, just the usual judicial bureaucracy. Are you ready?'

 

Severus asked, 'Ready for what?'

 

In a heartbeat, he saw himself in a totally white environment, Hermione by his side. She was so surprised at being taken away that she grabbed his arm.

 

The brightness in the room helped them to feel a bit disoriented. But Severus somehow knew they were not in danger. In a few seconds, their eyes got used to the light and they realized they were in some sort of office.

 

The decoration was sober, Severus noticed, bordering on minimalist, although it was quite spacious. There were two big executive desks, a conference table capable of accommodating twelve, a sofa of pristine white cushions and a few office cupboards that were as far from Ikea as they were from the Earth. It was modern, yet cozy and welcoming, in extremely good taste.

 

The small guy smiled at them and said, pointing to the nice white sofa, 'You can sit right there if you wish. His Highness will be with you in a moment.'

 

And left, leaving them alone before they even thought of questioning him. Alone in that beautiful office, Severus and Hermione looked at each other.

 

'What was that?' asked Hermione. 'Where are we?'

 

Severus tried to calm her down, 'I know as much as you do, but everything will be all right. Don't worry.'

 

'Aren't you worried?' Hermione was surprised. 'You? A former super spy?'

 

Severus didn't hide his own surprise. 'I know, and I am as surprised as you are. But I have a good feeling about it, and I don't know why.'

 

A voice came from behind them explaining, 'This is a very different environment than what you are used.'

 

They turned their heads to see Metraton, the Prince Archangel also known as "The Voice of God", smiling at them. He was dressed in an impeccably white suit, his wavy blond hair and blue eyes seemed to sparkle. Severus nodded, Greetings, sir.'

 

The entity's smile was contagious. 'I am so glad you could come. Sorry about the ruse. Please have a seat.'

 

After both were seated, Severus said, 'So I guess we are not here to sign the judicial papers.'

 

'No, indeed,' confirmed the celestial being. 'After everything that transpired, the Almighty felt you two deserved an explanation, one that could impart to you the just measure of the accomplishment of your actions.'

 

Hermione frowned, 'I don't understand.'

 

The archangel smiled beatifically. 'Of course you don't, my child. Yet right now the heavens celebrate your victory more vigorously than you could ever know.'

 

The emphasis of his words took both of them by surprise. 'Is that so?'

 

In a professorial manner, the Voice of God explained, 'If memory serves, mortals believe human souls go to heaven or hell according to their individual deeds and purity of heart. Those who help their fellow brothers and soothe the suffering of others are candidates to a place in heaven; those who think only of themselves and do harm to others secure a place in eternal damnation. Isn't it right?'

 

Hermione was curious. 'It is not?'

 

Metraton gently cocked him head, 'It is, to an extent. But the truth is, and it may surprise you, that the accomplishments of some souls are more dear and meaningful than others.'

 

Severus rose an eyebrow, 'Oh?'

 

The angel also looked surprised. 'I know; shocking, isn't it? But picture it from this angle: imagine a man born in a comfortable home, with loving parents, religious information and a good heart. Such a man would be halfway to heaven, wouldn't he? But now imagine if his soul could be corrupted to a point to jeopardize his eternal life. His fall would have a deeper meaning than of a man, say, that was raised in a bad neighborhood, with quarreling parents, exposed to evil as an ordinary occurrence. Can you see how souls have different meanings in the eternal balance?'

 

'Yes,' said Hermione, and she looked amazed. 'But I never thought about it.'

 

'Few do,' nodded the Voice of God. 'But that is why sometimes the Almighty and the Foul One focus on particular souls. They pay attention to those souls hoping they can beat their own odds. When they do, it is quite a victory.'

 

Severus said, 'So I imagine that the damnation of Hermione's soul would have been a big defeat of the good guys.'

 

They exchanged looks and smiles, holding hands. Severus felt as if falling in love with her all over again, knowing that now she was safe from Satan's clutches.

 

'Oh, no doubt about it,' confirmed the archangel. 'Hermione's soul would have been a remarkable prize. But this was never about her, my child. From the beginning, it has always been about you.'

 

That was a surprise, and one that Severus never expected. 'Me? No, that can't be right.'

 

The beatified smile was there again. 'The battle for your soul, Severus, began right after you were born. You had your mother's love and your father's abuse. Then you felt true love for Lily, and lost it when you joined the Dark Lord's ranks. You tried to save her and failed. You almost killed yourself and then became an Incarnation of Immortality. Your soul has  walked a fine line for so long. And then came Hermione. Satan was obsessed with her because of you. That was his only true motivation.'

 

Hermione paled. 'What does it mean, exactly?'

 

The heavenly prince looked discomfiting for the first time. 'I am afraid Satan does not follow the rules. He had known for a long time that Hermione held the key to Severus's soul. Damning her would damn him irrevocably. So he made several attempts. He began by murdering Ronald Weasley.'

 

There was a loud gasp from Hermione. Severus saw she turning so pale he feared she could faint right on the spot. Her eyes were rimmed with tears, and he looked at her with a mute question. She whispered, 'I am all right.'

 

Clearly, she was not, thought Severus. He held her hand to comfort her.

 

Metraton went on, 'When Hermione almost killed herself to beg for her husband's life, she was dangerously close to jeopardizing her eternal soul. Fortunately, the worse was avoided. By that time, the former aspect of Clotho started to feel restless and longing for a shot at mortal life again. She really looked forward into being a mother.'

 

She brightened up. 'That was how I became Clotho!'

 

'When Satan heard what happened, he was possessed,' said Metraton. 'Sorry for the pun.'

 

'Why was he so angry?'

 

The angel counter asked, 'Why do you think? Satan wanted to bring you two apart, otherwise he would lose his soul. He was so certain Severus was already his.'

 

'So,' said Severus, 'he never really lusted after Hermione.'

 

'No,' guaranteed Metatron. 'It was a cruel way to intimidate Hermione. First, Satan wanted her to quit the job as Fate. Then, when he realized she would not quit, he schemed to keep you from falling in love with each other. That failed miserably, too.'

 

Severus said, 'But he didn't know that. He thought we were having affairs behind Chronos's back.'

 

'His cleverly thought ploy failed because he miscalculated the love you had for each other. That one could never really understand true love. Once Satan failed to prevent you from becoming an Incarnation of Immortality, he tried all tricks. He was truly desperate to keep Severus from redeeming himself, but in his schemes and stratagems he could never realize how much Severus loved you. That was his mistake. It was almost the same mistake that led to the downfall of his famous pupil, Lord Voldemort.'

 

Severus was happy to hear that. 'Really?'

 

'It is true,' said Hermione. 'The love Professor Sinistra held for her fiancé gave her strength to spy Voldemort all those years and give Harry the advantage to kill the Dark Lord.'

 

'And I thought she had betrayed Dumbledore,' said Severus. 'I hope she is resting in a nice place.'

 

Metatron raised both eyebrows and shrugged. 'Maybe she'll be, after a short stint in Purgatory. You two, of course, don't have to be concerned with any of that. The Almighty appreciates your services and wishes to reward both of you accordingly.'

 

'But we still can fall,' reminded Hermione. 'Like Severus said, there is no immunity. Right?'

 

Metatron cringed a bit. 'Well... not immunity. It's just that you have been given eternity at last.'

 

Severus frowned. 'What does it mean?'

 

Metatron smiled at him. 'Right now Death has another face, my friend.' He turned to Hermione and nodded, 'And so does Clotho. Didn't you notice the absence of your sister aspects?'

 

Hermione was shocked, for she had not realized being alone again in her mind. They looked at each other, still unsure.

 

'But this means...' started Severus.

 

The archangel looked so happy he positively glowed. 'Yes, my friends, it means what you think, indeed.'

 

Hermione was awed. 'Oh, my God!'

 

'Yes, that is Him.' Metatron smiled and said, 'He bids you welcome to Heaven.'

 

Severus looked at the prince from Heaven, to see if he was pulling their legs. It didn't look like it.

 

Metatron opened his arms towards an extremely well-lit door (which definitely wasn't there before, noticed Severus) and said, solemnly, with a faint echo, 'Say hello to eternity.'

 

That was huge, and Severus knew it. That was it, the ultimate goal of all lives: eternal bliss, living among the angels and all other blessed beings until the end of times. He should be happy about it.

 

But he was not. Well, he _was_ happy, but for other reasons.

 

Severus was not concerned with eternity. Hermione was at by his side and that was all that mattered to him. She was with him until the end of times, and that was his definition of eternal bliss.

 

Hermione looked at him, joyfully grinning. His heart melted at the sight of her lovely face, her tiny button nose, her bright, beautiful eyes. She glowed, smiling at him, as she offered him her hand, inviting, 'Shall we, my love?'

 

 _That_ was Heaven, Severus realized, smiling back at her.

 

Sorry, Almighty.

 

'Of course, my love.'

 

All was well, Severus thought, as he stepped into the light, gladly following Hermione. His heart was beating so fast he thought it might explode.

 

This was _it_. Happiness. That was as good as good could ever be.

 

Severus thought of how new all this was for him. And it was pretty fine. He could get used to it.

 

He would have enough time for that.

 

**The end**


End file.
